NINETEEN BOOT CAMPS IN SEVEN MONTHS!
GCC Ramps Up Workforce Training Programs to Upskill Jobless Residents for In-demand Jobs.
During a presentation to the Rotary Club of Guam, Dr. Mary Okada, Guam Community College President, announced GCC’s initiative to offer 19 job training boot camps through the remainder of 2021. The boot camps will cover a variety of critically needed areas for employment in Guam’s economy.
In September 2020, Guam Community College, in partnership with the Guam Department of Labor, hosted the Workforce Opportunities Reimagined Conference (WORC), to identify areas of greatest need in Guam’s economy within a post-COVID environment. Then, in November, GCC hosted WORC2 to provide an opportunity for the diverse economic sectors to examine the training needs and economic potential as Guam rebuilds after the COVID-19 economic shock, and to create an Action Plan to launch workforce initiatives.
As a result of the WORC conferences, GCC has developed and is rolling out 19 boot camps over the next seven months to help individuals who were left jobless or with reduced work hours. The boot camps will focus on areas of critical need, which were identify as a result of the WORC conferences.
Starting with the recently announced Information Technology Boot Camp, GCC will be standing up a series of boot camps through December of this year:
·Information Technology
·Caregiver / Medical Home Health Aide x 2
·Medical Coding & Billing x 2
·Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
·Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
·Surveyor Technician
·Ship Repair IV
·Construction III
·Diesel Mechanic
·Ship Repair V
·Safety Officer
·Heavy Equipment
·Truck Driving III
·Welding
·Cyber Security
·EMT
·Security
Information on each program will be released as it becomes available.
“We have been working closely with the Guam Department of Labor and private sector partners to build programs that can have immediate impact for the participants and the economy. We took the information we gained from the WORC conferences and used it to identify areas of immediate need and have designed the boot camps based on that information,” according to Dr. Mary Okada, GCC President. “I want to encourage anyone who is unemployed, or looking to advance beyond an entry-level job, to apply for our boot camps. These are skills in high demand today and will be in demand for years to come.”
“Those who are currently unemployed because of COVID could qualify for federal assistance, “ according to David Dell’Isola, Director of the Guam Department of Labor. However, funds are limited so he is encouraging people to get prequalified early. Dell’Isola has also encouraged people to participate in programs, like GCC’s job-ready boot camps, and gain new skills in areas that are currently needed.
GCC’s boot camps have helped people start new careers industries that continue to grow, even in this COVID environment.
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