Alamo Colleges Partner with City of San Antonio for New ‘Earn While You Learn’ Program
- Twitter / AlamoColleges1
Alamo Colleges and the city of San Antonio are partnering on a program that pays students $450 a week as they work to become certified in fields including healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, welding and construction.
City council last month voted 10-1 to approve a $70 million plan providing retraining to residents who lost their jobs during the pandemic. Advocates argued the program can help reshape the city’s low-wage economy and allow residents to have job security and benefits.
Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores told NEWS4SA the program could help 10,000 people become certified in jobs that will remain resilient during the pandemic.
“Somebody could receive training and be a certified nurses aide in as little as five months,” Flores said. “Somebody could take advantage of this opportunity to be able to earn the stipend and also learn a new skill and be competitive in the economy.”
Flores also told the TV station that Alamo Colleges officials are addressing health concerns by scheduling courses online. The district is also providing help to those who don’t have computers or home internet connections.
“Some of them may be hybrid, some of it will be face to face, and so we’ll use public health protocols with PPE and social distancing,” he added.
Training courses will begin in July, according to NEWS4SA.
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