Utah Job Skills & Digital Literacy Training Program Reaches Milestone

OREM, Utah--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Skilled2Succeed (S2S) (www.skilled2succeed.org), a program helping underserved individuals achieve employment and advancement through certification of vital job skills, today announced its newest graduating class at Utah Valley University. More than 500 underserved individuals have graduated from the program since its inception in 2005.

“Everyone pushes down, but Skilled2Succeed lifts us up”

Skilled2Succeed provides the final link in the chain from job retraining to meaningful advancement in the workplace. Certified program graduates have been placed in professional positions at companies like DirectPointe, Coldwell Banker and Novell, among others. “Everyone pushes down, but Skilled2Succeed lifts us up,” stated budding artist and Skilled2Succeed graduate Dorothy Boyle.

The program merges the existing momentum of UVU’s Turning Point center for personal and career development and an innovative partnership with DirectPointe, a private sector technology provider; Certiport, world computer certification leader; Clear Foundation; and Kelly Services, a leading staffing services provider.

“Workers without current and relevant skills are truly challenged in today’s tough job market,” said Michelle Scott, event organizer and vice president of corporate social responsibility at founding sponsor, Certiport. “Today’s worker must prove they have specific workplace competencies to land meaningful employment. We are pleased that so many have benefited through Skilled2Succeed efforts to retool workers to compete for jobs using technology.”

Skilled2Succeed leverages a successful, cost-effective model developed by Certiport over the past eight years in similar efforts in several states and the Navajo Nation. With the tremendous certification and job placement success already achieved by Skilled2Succeed participants, founding stakeholders hope to certify and find employment for Turning Point participants and other public retraining programs. In turn, it is hoped that additional partners and area employers will become aware of the value of Skilled2Succeed and choose to become involved.

Dignitaries in attendance at this past week’s ceremonies included Derrick Miller for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Neal Summer for Kelly Services, Rusty Butler, Utah Valley University, Rock Ballstaedt for Inner City Hispanic Project, Michael Proper for ClearOS, and Carol Verbecky for Turning Point, among many others.

More than 14,000* single-parent Utah families live in poverty and 26** percent of Utah’s children live in working poor families. Research indicates that two-thirds of disadvantaged adults find employment with a significant increase in income after training***.

Skilled2Succeed YouTube videos:

1. Graduation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAV5Un2Pupo

2. Graduate Roxie Fonohema: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQauG0AQuJE

Sponsors, Employers and job retraining programs seeking more information about Skilled2Succeed may send e-mail to Michelle Scott at mscott@certiport.com. See also www.skilled2succeed.org.

*Source: U.S. 2000 Census
**Source: Utah Children
***Source: Center for Public Policy and Administration – University of Utah

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