Free “Train-the-Trainer” Courses Offered

The University of California Cooperative Extension and the Workforce Investment Board of Santa Barbara County are offering two more free “train-the-trainer” courses for local organizations and agencies in the north county area.

Representatives of any Northern Santa Barbara County organization that serves 14-24 year olds can participate, including community-based organizations, youth or faith-based organizations, schools, law enforcement and others. The hands-on training for agency staff enhances their workforce readiness skills to assist 14 to 24 year olds.

The training focuses on the Cooperative Extension’s “Should I Be Working?” curriculum which includes information on how to search for a job, career personality tests and entrepreneurship for youth. The program was designed to help organizations better serve diverse youth groups, including pregnant/parenting teens, young people in the juvenile justice system and youth in traditional and non-traditional schools or youth organizations.

The free training sessions include:

• Tuesday, November 30, 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 pm, Guadalupe Senior Center, 4545 10th Street, Guadalupe; and

• Wednesday, December 1, 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Santa Maria/Orcutt area, County of Santa Barbara, Public Works Building, 620 W. Foster Road, Santa Maria

“In these times of economic uncertainty, it’s important to help prepare teens and young adults for positive work experiences,” said Shirley Peterson, UCCE Extension Advisor. “Thanks to the Workforce Investment Board, our youth now have an opportunity to be introduced to this national, award-winning curriculum.”

The train-the-trainer approach enhances the capacity of agencies to provide direct services to the targeted youth populations with a flexible education resource that can be used by agencies with little or no cost, and presented to youth at times and locations convenient to their learning by engaging them in a “learn by doing” approach.

Register is available online. For more information, contact Shirley Peterson, Extension Advisor, at (805) 781-5951. Attendees will receive a free copy of the “Should I Be Working?” curriculum.

The Workforce Investment Board, is dedicated to serving the workforce needs of businesses, adults, laid-off workers and youth throughout Santa Barbara County. The WIB is a public/private partnership created by the Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and is staffed by the County of Santa Barbara.

Job seekers and employers can take advantage of free services at the WIB’s two Workforce Resource Centers (“One-Stops”) to help find work or new employees. Programs include employment services for job seekers, the latest labor market information and regional workforce research for businesses, as well as training that specialize in helping people gain the skills and confidence necessary to find and obtain a job.

The One-Stop Shops are at 1410 S. Broadway in Santa Maria, (805) 614-1550, and 130 E. Ortega Street in Santa Barbara, (805) 568-1296. Online information is available.