This February, the SERJobs Employee Engagement Black History Month Subcommittee hosted a lineup of events to amplify Black history and culture amongst staff, with a special focus on Black history in Texas and in Houston.

The first event was an open-air happy hour kicking off the month hosted at the Wing Quarter, located in the Third Ward. The event was an excellent team-building opportunity, paired with delicious Cajun cuisine and great weather!

The next two events were geared towards amplifying Black history: a Lunch + Learn event featuring a screening of Netflix’s High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America, Episode 4 with popcorn from POParazzi Popcorn; and Black History Month Jeopardy.

To explore Black history and art from a Houston perspective, a Black History Month Book Club was organized to read a book written by a Black author from Houston. After a vote amongst participants, the winning book club selection was Invisible Houston: The Black Experience in Boom and Bust by Dr. Robert D. Bullard of Texas Southern University, who is widely regarded as the Father of Environmental Justice. The books were purchased from Houston’s first Black-owned bookstore, Kindred Stories in the Third Ward. The book club will meet in March to discuss the book.

To end the month, the Black History Month Subcommittee organized the second annual Culture + Cuisine Day! Staff were treated to a day of catered meals from local Black-owned restaurants, with the day kicking off with breakfast from Glazed the Doughnut Café located at 1333 Old Spanish Trail. Staff lunches were catered by Mikki’s Soulfood Café and Soul Food Vegan. The day ended with Crumbville’s famous stuffed cupcakes!

To complement these events, a newsletter was distributed each week highlighting celebrated Black Americans throughout history, and a display in the SERJobs lobby was also erected to highlight these historic figures.

The SERJobs Employee Engagement Black History Month Subcommittee was chaired by Kazhari Ray, Program Coordinator. The subcommittee members were Robert Depay, Valeri Dunn, Joyce Harris, Felicia Hines, Zully Ramon-Vidal, and Christi Vasquez.

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Want to break into the tech field and you’re already digital-savvy?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) re/Start is a skills development and job training program that prepares learners for cloud computing careers. The program’s mission is to provide skills and job opportunities in cloud computing to anyone 18 years of age or older. AWS re/Start works with approved collaborating organizations, SER National is one of them, to deliver a learning experience, provide a pathway to Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certification, and support learners as they launch their career in cloud computing.

The program is 12 weeks, Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm CT and completely virtual.

Learn More + Apply

The post Sky’s the limit! Earn your Cloud Practitioner Certification through AWS re/Start appeared first on SERJobs.

September Trainings

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
CDL Training – classes held on-site – Members will be prepared to earn their CDL Class A permit and license.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Electrician Level 1 Training – classes will be both virtual and on-site – Members will be prepared to earn their OSHA 10 certification, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core, and NCCER Electrician Level 1.
Information Communications Technician – classes will be on-site – Members will earn their OSHA 10 certification and a Certificate of Completion.
SER Banking Training – classes will be virtual – Members will a Certificate of Completion.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Welding Level 1 Training – classes will be on-site – Members will earn their NCCER Core and NCCER Welding Level 1 credentials.
Customer Service Training – classes will be virtual – Members will earn their RISE Up certification from the National Retail Foundation.
Call Center Technician – classes will be both virtual and on-site – Members will earn their RISE Up certification from the National Retail Foundation and a Certificate of Completion.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Warehouse Forklift Training – classes will be both virtual and on-site – Members will earn their OSHA Forklift Certification. Please note: Applicants must live in Harris County.

The post Fall in Love with New Career Opportunities this September appeared first on SERJobs.

At 31 years of age, Jesus V. had tried to get into the finance industry for years. Originally from Matamoros, Mexico, Jesus moved to Brownsville, Texas just as he began high school. After graduating and spending a year at college, Jesus decided to take a step toward his dream by moving to Houston in 2011.

Jesus immediately found a job in the oil and gas industry, where he stayed for almost nine years.

“I still really wanted a career in finance,” said Jesus, “but I was making good money and had a family at that point – that’s why I stayed there so long. Then in the fall of 2019, I decided to go back to college because I knew three things: I wanted a job where – I would always be learning; where I could help people; and one that would give me financial stability. Everything led back to a career in finance.”

He began looking for a job in banking while working and going to school, but in May of 2020, everything had changed. By then the COVID-19 pandemic had affected millions of jobs across the country, including Jesus’. He was laid off. Months went by without any other job offer. Jesus and his wife began to struggle financially.

“I’m a man of faith and I felt blessed, but I didn’t realize how difficult it was going to be”, said Jesus.

One day in late September, Jesus was on an errand at Bank of America. He began talking to a BOA employee, told her his story and asked if they would consider hiring him. The bank was not hiring at that time, but the employee told him about a friend who had taken banking training at SERJobs and was subsequently hired at Bank of America. She referred Jesus to the SER/UnidosUS banking training program.

“I reached out and spoke to [SER Career Coach] Jose V.,” said Jesus, “Jose asked for my resume and scheduled my interview. In October 2020, I was invited to enroll. I got into the course and met Jose, [SER instructor] David B., and [BOA liaison] Eric Galvan. I learned so much – everything started to make sense. I learned about dual control, building rapport, how to speak eloquently about banking, and so many other important things.”

Thanks to funding from the Harris County CARES Act, the City of Houston, Gulf Coast Community Services Association, Inc., and UnidosUS, Jesus’ training was fully paid for and he was able to access supportive assistance that was critical to his success.

“All my hard work is now paying off,” said Jesus, “I completed the training and started my dream job on December 14th. It all goes back to SERJobs. I wouldn’t have gotten my job without the banking training I received. I want to share my story because I appreciate SER and could never have accomplished this without them; they provide everything it takes to be successful. There are a lot of people there behind the scenes – staff and the people who fund the programs – who really care about the clients. SER is changing people’s lives.”

The post Jesus’s Story: Finding Success During COVID-19 appeared first on SERJobs.

“I’ve never had anyone reach out like that.”

“I had the privilege of living with my mom,” Khalilah begins to explain her life before SERJobs, “So I had a lot of time to sit and think about what I wanted to do.” Khalilah knew that she wanted to get her GED. Unfortunately, knowing what you want sometimes isn’t enough to move forward.

She mentioned going to a GED class at a nearby college, but quickly lost “motivation because the teacher didn’t care.” She went on to explain that her first GED instructor would explain course material in one way and one way only. If she was unable to understand her instructor’s explanation, then that was it for her.

“They look at you like you’re nothing.”

Needless to say, this first attempt at obtaining her GED didn’t last long. Khalilah discovered SER through a Google search. She became interested in our youth and GED services. After stopping by to see what SER was about, she was faced with a difficult decision.

On the day Khalilah was supposed to come into SER to begin her GED class, she also had the opportunity to interview for a job at Fiesta. So what was she to do? Interview for a position that would help her earn money now or take a chance on a program that she was unfamiliar with but could lead to greater financial success in the future?

Khalilah chose the secure route– and can any of us blame her? Uncertainty is a luxury that not many of us cannot afford. Khalilah took the job at Fiesta, but couldn’t shake her interaction with SER from her mind. “I postponed that and worked, but all I could think about was the SER program.”

She also couldn’t stop thinking about Ms. Zully Ramon and Ms. Liz, “I’ve never had anyone reach out like that,” she told us. She was amazed at how much someone cared about her getting her GED and how simply they laid out a career projection right before her eyes. Eventually, she gave up her job and returned to SER.

“No has ever given me the feeling that it’s okay to be where I’m at.”

Khalilah joined SER’s YouthBuild program. YouthBuild is equal parts GED course, NCCER and OSHA 10 occupational training and certification course, and community service. Through this program, students are taught to gain confidence in themselves by uplifting their community, getting real job readiness skills, and preparing to take their GED tests.

Looking back on her time in YouthBuild to where she is now, Khalilah says that going to SER is the “best decision I’ve ever made; I couldn’t be more grateful.” She then laughs and jokingly says, “I think they care more about where you’re going than you do.”

She says that feeling valued and cared for like this made her confident in herself. She quickly began to think in terms of “what my life could be.” Not only did she find comfort in our staff, but with her YouthBuild peers. She mentioned that she found people in her class going through similar problems and she quickly felt a sense of camaraderie amongst her classmates.

When working on the construction and volunteer portions of her program Khalilah mentioned that they would “volunteer with houses affected by Hurricane Harvey or go help out at Meals On Wheels,” she found her volunteer working to be “touching; it just felt really good” to give back to others.

Given Khalilah’s previous experience with GED courses, we asked if she had any bad days during our program when she did not feel motivated. She said that before SER, “I didn’t have a plan or anyone to motivate me. During the program, I would still go to school on my bad days. I was ready, I was motivated.” Khalilah knows that SER believes in her, so even on her bad days, she believes in us too.

“SER showed me I can be myself and still take care of business.”

Khalilah says that alongside her YouthBuild skills, a big takeaway from SER is “how to present myself in the workforce. SER showed me I can be myself and still take care of business.” She now knows that she doesn’t have to sacrifice who she is to get hired and has instead turned her personality into an asset.

She is currently an intern at the San Jose Clinic. This position was awarded to her through SER’s employment services team. Khalilah is currently honing in her “clerical, office, and administrative skills.” What she’s most looking forward to is her starting her new job once her internship ends.

She met with employers from Color Factory Houston at a SER job fair and after applying and interview on her own, got a position as a tour guide! “This is the type of environment I want to be in,” she tells us after explaining her new job.

Overall, “YouthBuild is an empowering program that challenges us to think outside the box and to be thinking one step further.” As Khalilah plans for her future, these are skills that she’s already putting to good use.

When asked what advice she would give to young people considering SER’s services she said, “Go with your gut. If it’s your time, then do it. You have to know and really appreciate what you’re doing.”

The post “They look at you like you’re nothing.” appeared first on SERJobs.