Welcome to the Workforce Wire, your monthly connection to all things workforce development and EPG!

Congratulations are due to the graduates at the Latin American Youth Center and Multi-Cultural Youth Center in Riverdale, MD! On December 9, 2021, these graduates received their GEDs and we were so proud to be able to share this occasion with them.

Those who have a GED certificate or a high school diploma can expect to earn on average $2,400 a month or $28,800 a year, compared to high school dropouts who earn $2,100 a month or $25,200 a year.

These graduates persevered through the global pandemic to complete this program, a feat they should be proud of.

Employ Prince George’s is proud to partner to support this program and its participants. We can’t wait to serve these graduates in the future as they develop their careers. Anyone interested in the Latin American Youth Center GED Program can apply below.

On December 10, 2021, The Denney House, Inc., in partnership with Employ Prince George’s, proudly hosted a ceremony celebrating the graduation of four men who earned their certifications in landscape management and heavy equipment. Each of the graduates, because of their on-the-job training during the program, are leaving the program with jobs lined up! Congratulations again, gentlemen.

To learn more about this exciting program, enroll using the link below. If you would like more information, please contact businesses services at wsd@co.pg.md.us.

Congratulations to the El Poder de Ser Mujer Comprehensive Program for Entrepreneurial Development graduates! We also extend a very special congratulations to Merlin Xiomara Manzanares, Elizabeth Salazar, and Laura Esquivel de Flores whose business plans were voted top three in their class! These ladies won a combined $1,500, presented to them by #EPG's very own Ariana Lindo and Jeffrey Swilley.

To learn more about this exciting program, enroll using the link below. If you would like more information, please contact businesses services at wsd@co.pg.md.us.

Round three of EPG's Rapid Re-Employment Grants Initiative Check Distribution was a huge success! On December 16, 2021, we distributed over $326,000 to 12 local businesses, bringing the Rapid Re-Employment Grant total to over $1,100,000 since this program was introduced in 2020, and we're still going!

We were pleased to have District 26 Senator Obie Patterson and Delegate Veronica Turner attend the ceremony, offering words of congratulations and encouragement to the business owners.

Employ Prince George's plans to distribute an additional $4,400,000 to businesses hiring unemployed Prince George's County residents by June 2022. If you're a business hiring unemployed job seekers in Prince George's County, apply today to receive up to $15,000 per new hire. Visit EmployPG.org for more information.

December 28th’s TALC kickoff event in partnership with Stand Up and Deliver was a HUGE success! We got 20 participants registered for this exciting program, and had rousing speeches from EPG’s own Jeffrey Swilley, Alexander Austin, and Theodore Wright III. That's what we call a kickoff!

The Transportation and Logistics Consortium is an Industry Bridge program from Employ Prince George's that offers paid training to job seekers looking to join the Transportation, Warehousing, or Logistics industries. Employ Prince George's is partnering with Maryland Local Workforce Development Boards, the Maryland Department of Labor, Northern Virginia Workforce Development Boards, the DC Workforce Investment Council, and the DC Department of Employment Services to expand the reach of TALC throughout Maryland and the DC Metropolitan Region.

If you're interested in enrolling in the TALC program visit PGCCareers.com or contact wsd@co.pg.md.us for more information.

December 12, 2021 was another awesome day at Employ Prince George’s! Prince George’s County hosted the DMV Regional Workforce Gathering at FedEx Field during the Washington Football Team vs Dallas Cowboys game.

Traditionally this event brings together the Workforce Development Board Directors and Workforce Development Board Chairs from DC, Northern Virginia, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. Today, in the spirit of ultra-regionalism, we included the Maryland Governors Workforce Development Board, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, local businesses, local elected officials, and the National Association of Workforce Boards.

Our special guest was the first African American President of an NFL football team and current President of the Washington Football Team, Jason Wright. Jason spoke about residents, businesses, jobs, and a greater purpose. He took questions and we agreed to develop a regional workforce partnership for the future.

We didn’t win the game, but we definitely won the day!

For all EPG news features and press releases, please visit www.employpg.org/press/

Lisa Jimenez has more than 20 years' experience working as a marketing executive in Silicon Valley. She spent the last nine of those as a self-employed contractor and consultant, working across live events, marketing, and recruitment.

After her youngest daughter graduated from high school earlier this year, Jimenez decided she wanted the security of a full-time role again, but she admits that her current job search has proved more difficult than she was expecting.