November 15 – On Monday, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) joined the nation-wide celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, with an early morning welcome ceremony for attendees to hear all about what The Rural Workforce Academy offers and the program’s exciting prospects.
The Cooperative Extension Program’s Executive Associate Director Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., welcomed participants and praised the academy’s excellent work. The College of Agriculture and Human Sciences Dean and Director of Land Grant Programs’ Gerard D’Souza Ph.D. also spoke about TRWA’s efficiency and influence.
Workforce Development Program Specialist Laura Jones gave an overview of the program’s progress and their work ahead of them. The Apprenticeship Training Representative for USDOL Office of Apprenticeship, Jon Lavin, and Texas State Director of USDOL Office of Apprenticeship, Lee Price, both expressed their eagerness to work closely with PVAMU to ensure TRWA’s success.
Left to Right: Laura Jones, Workforce Development Program Specialist; Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences and Director of Land Grant Programs; Kevin Hoffman, Chief of Staff to PVAMU President; Jimmy Henry, Program Leader – Community Development; Lee Price, Texas State Director USDOL Office of Apprenticeship; Jon Lavin, Apprenticeship Training Representative USDOL Office of Apprenticeship; Carolyn Williams, Ph.D., Executive Associate Director Cooperative Extension Program.
“We want to be a part of the excellent job, and we want to partner with you here as your progress into the future with your apprenticeship program,” Price said.
TRWA is a pilot program funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration Department of Commerce and Prairie View A&M University. Through that grant, PVAMU’s Cooperative Extension Program will provide skilled trades training certification and job placement to residents in rural counties impacted by disasters.
The program’s goals are to help participants earn a certification, secure employment, become lifelong learners, and more. In February 2021, TRWA officially became a Registered Apprenticeship Program, and as of June 2021, has graduated more than 303 pre-apprentices.
The rest of the week’s festivities included virtual workshop information sessions for interested guests, a graduation luncheon on Thursday, and a virtual job fair for employers, job hunters, and all registered guests on Friday.
To register for these events, please visit https://pvamunaw.vfairs.com.
Pascale Mondesir
Communication Specialist II
pamondesir@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5155