Staff from the Las Cruces office of New Mexico Workforce Connection partnered with the Bridge of Southern New Mexico, Ngage New Mexico, and the SUCCESS Partnership to host listening sessions with 18 parents of young children who wanted to learn more about job resources and educational opportunities.
Two Parent Workforce Connection events took place in Chaparral and Las Cruces the end of July. Both events were held in English and Spanish to ensure individuals could share their experiences, and knowledge of, the workforce system, as well as their desires for the future.
The small groups created close interactions and enabled Workforce Connection staff members to provide one-on-one support to the parents, based on the feedback from their conversations. Workforce Connections received valuable input on how to ensure their office and programs meet the distinct needs of young parents in the community. Olga Ramirez, a parent who attended the event said, ” I wish a lot more people came. I wanted to find out how to continue my education and there’s workforce education assistance.” Ramirez also expressed how the event benefitted her goals to return to school for teaching, after being out of school for several years.
“We are trying to understand a job seeker’s needs. We want to make sure that our centers are creating partnerships, providing resources and serving individuals based on the needs of the community to educate and employ New Mexico,” said One Stop Operator/ Regional Operations NM Workforce Connections Manager, Yvette Bayless.
The Community Foundation of Southern NM sponsored the event with grant funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Future gatherings in Chaparral and Las Cruces will serve as follow up events for parents.
For more information on programs and resources available through New Mexico Workforce Connection, contact Sandra Bueno at Sandy.bueno@state.nm.usor by calling (575) 524-6250 extension: 1019.