The first thing one will notice about Stephen is how much he values education. He speaks in phrases like, “Nobody is an island. Nobody has a monopoly on knowledge,” and made it clear that when it comes to his experience at SERJobs, “a quest for advancement and knowledge” is what led him to our CORE Construction program.

Immigrating from Nigeria three years ago, there were many adjustments he had to make. To get a job in the industry he was already skilled in, Stephen needed our help. He came to SER because he needed construction credentials that were valid in America. While he has a prior background in the construction industry, he did go through a learning curve with SER’s program. “I was trained in Nigeria with British Standard, but we don’t use metrics in America. So, you must make a speedy conversion using Fahrenheit against Celsius [for example], but that put me on a platform of opportunity because I can use both now.”

While his main goal was to earn US-relevant construction credentials, Stephen also gained valuable insight into what is normal for an interview in the United States and some best practices that made him stand out as a candidate.

“I must not forget to say that my resume was reorganized here because there is a course in SERJobs on resume build-up and interview readiness. That was wonderful because it helped to put me at a platform of advantage at the interview for the job I have now.”

Our employment services team works individually with our clients to ensure they are fully prepared to search for jobs and make a great impression when hired. Through this process, Stephen found out that “If you can research before coming into the organization, you will show that you are an asset to the organization and that’s the secret I got here, and it worked for me.”

He is currently a service manager with an apartment complex in the Houston area. His job ensures that he oversees many aspects of the facility, “from the landscaping to the architectural look, structural element and the building services of the property.” When asked how he likes his new position, he said, “I love doing what I’m doing. I love the construction industry.”

“There’s no losing. You win, SER wins, society wins.”

Stephen uses his current position and skills to pave a pathway forward, “I want to be a business owner. That is my goal. Whatever I am doing now, I am doing it to build myself to that goal.”

If you are hesitant about SER’s services and how we can help you, Stephen offers this advice, “You need to help yourself for someone to help you. If you need help, you need to make yourself open to help. There’s an African adage that says if a child comes to you– if he does not lift his arms, it is difficult for you to pick him up.”

Working together with our clients, alongside their strengths, is how we lift each other and the greater Houston area. He also reflects on SER’s impact not just on his life but the lives of those around him. “It’s a win, win situation. There’s no losing. You win, SER wins, society wins.”

When asked if there’s anything that he wanted to make sure people knew about him when telling his story, he left us with this final statement: “I am an immigrant who came into this country, but I’ve never allowed my status to define who I am. I see myself as an American, and I move forward.”

The post Stephen’s Story: New Country, New Beginnings appeared first on SERJobs.

“Don’t let people underestimate you, don’t underestimate yourselves.” – Olga Rodriguez, SER Chief Program Officer

After 17 weeks of perseverance and dedication, our welding class has graduated! Setting aside over four months of one’s life to work towards personal betterment is a tricky thing to do. However, we are incredibly proud of all of our graduates for how far they’ve come and looked forward to continuing their journey with them through our employment services and financial opportunity center.

At the graduation ceremony, our graduates were treated to a line-up of experienced speakers to give them some insight on their future potential as well as behind-the-scenes insider tips from industry professionals. Our Chief Program Officer, Olga Rodriguez, began by sharing our graduates a message of encouragement. She gives co-workers and SER partners one clear message, “do not underestimate our clients.” At the graduation ceremony, she wanted to make sure our clients got the same message: “Don’t let people underestimate you, don’t underestimate yourselves.”

We had guest speakers Maria Martinez of Weld Force Group and Alan Solorzano, President of South Coast Welding Academy, give our clients some industry secrets. But, ultimately, they gave them the same message:

1. Do not be afraid to start as a helper.
2. Hard work and initiative will take you far in the welding industry.

“The skills I learned here, no one can take from me.” – Edgar Salazar, Welding Graduate

We concluded the ceremony by inviting one of our students to discuss his time in SER’s welding program. “I’ve never been somewhere where it’s all up to us,” said Edgar Salazar when discussing SER. “I appreciate everything they gave us. They gave us unlimited resources.”

Our resources do not go very far without our clients’ drive “to be” successful. Our welding program is extended, rigorous, and very competitive to get into. We are proud of our graduates and look forward to watching their bright futures.

The post Welding Class Conquers Four Months of Training appeared first on SERJobs.

SERJobs Training Specialist, Deja King, orchestrated the event, welcoming a few speakers before certificates were presented. The first graduation speaker was SERJobs Chief Programs Officer, Olga Rodriguez. She made one thing clear to our clients– they must be willing to give themselves “permission” to be successful.  After that we had two potential employers speak to the graduates about their companies and what types of jobs they are hiring for. We are grateful to MeLisa Minter of ACARI Management Group and Donna Subwade of 3rd Ward Community Cooperative Builders for taking the time to speak to our clients about potential job opportunities.

The ceremony portion of the event came to a climax when students from both training programs stood up to share a few remarks. Lorenzo Cervantes graduating from our CORE training program said, “I’m just proud to have the chance to redeem myself. I look in the mirror and see a man with integrity.” Carlton Barney graduating from our CDL program discussed his experience before SER. He said that while he was in jail, re-entry program “filled my head with hope,” but when he got out he had no luck. “I went to 76 job interviews and was told no 76 times,” then he decided to give SER a chance and now he is on track to starting a new career.

SER would like to thank our sponsors and partners for their time, talent, and generous support of our clients and organization. We are grateful to Rebuild, USAA, DOL, and City of Houston.

The post Celebrating Recent CDL And Construction Clients appeared first on SERJobs.

We have been lucky to find a partner that both understands our mission. MCA Communications knows that they “want to be the best, so [they] have to invest in the best,” according to one of their representatives at today’s graduation. This exceptional partnership has lead to MCA hiring several SER trainees, including every single member of our most recent class!

Graduates were able to have a celebratory lunch together and reflect on what this opportunity with MCA and SER means to them. Anthony Dirusso told the class about growing up in Manhattan and what his life was like before the program, “I’m not from a nice neighborhood. They don’t do stuff like this for people just anywhere.” Then he turned to the MCA representatives and said,”You guys said you want to run this company like a family and you have done that.”

Fellow graduate, Haissam Kaissi followed after Dirusso and said, “Before SER I didn’t have trouble finding a job, but finding a career with a future. I thought about dropping out, but with your support I felt this is what I needed to do.”

SER’s Chief Program Officer wrapped up the event with a final message: “Give yourself permission to succeed.”

The post Latest Cohort of MCA Trainees Graduate Employed appeared first on SERJobs.

In 2018, Congress set aside $600 million to the EDA specifically for disaster relief and recovery funding for Hurricane Harvey-affected communities. With this award, SERJobs plans to break ground on its new training facility in 2020 that will help double the number of clients educated, trained, and employed through SER programs and services over the next few years. This new facility will be located on Tellepsen Street, right around the corner from SER’s Workforce Opportunity Center, and will allow SER to create more immersive training spaces for hands-on experience in construction, welding, telecommunication, technology, and other in-demand sectors. 

So, how does a skills training center factor in to disaster recovery? 

SER’s approach to natural disaster preparation is two-fold: First, by expanding the amount of clients served we are preparing the community to be in a better financial state when disaster strikes. When many families are one paycheck away from financial ruin, preparing our clients to care for themselves and their families during times of crisis is crucial. This means helping people get into living-wage careers as well as helping to improve financial sustainability by building savings, assets, and financial resources so they’re better prepared when emergencies arise. Second, adding more skilled workers to Houston’s workforce will help speed up post-disaster recovery and rebuilding initiatives. SER has experienced a high demand for skilled laborers following natural disasters in the past (particularly with Hurricane Harvey). With the inevitability of flooding in the Houston area, it is best to always be prepared and this new facility will help ensure better preparation for our clients and community at large.

The post SERJobs Awarded $5 Million For Disaster Recovery appeared first on SERJobs.