Centro’s Workforce Development Department has evolved to reflect the needs of the Knoxville area’s Latino community. Through several different programs, we teach clients effective ways of communication and provide the tools necessary for them to succeed and better integrate into East Tennessee life.
Workforce Development includes: English language (ESL), Digital and Financial Education, medical interpreter training, small business education, and HiSET (high school diploma equivalency). This combination is designed to holistically target the areas where resources for Latinos in our community are lacking.
English As A Second Language (ESL)
While some of our clients are currently employed, many lack the English proficiency to excel in their current jobs or to pursue better wages elsewhere. Nationwide, nearly one-in-10 working-age U.S. adults are considered to have limited English proficiency and they earn 25-40% less than their English-proficient counterparts.
Centro Hispano offers five distinct levels ranging from Basic to Advanced, which include reading, writing, grammar, listening comprehension, and oral communication. Classes are offered both mornings and evenings!
For more information about these programs, contact Rubi Flores at r.floresreyes@centrohispanotn.org.
Digital Education
With help from the Knoxville Chamber, Centro is working to increase digital literacy in the Latino community. This EKnox Digital Literacy Program aims to increase students’ skills and confidence when using computers and covers modules such as using email and a digital calendar, utilizing Google Docs and Google Drive to get all of your documents backed up and in one place, and more!
For more information, contact the Director of Workforce Development, Brandon Ledford at brandon@centrohispanotn.org.
HiSET/GED equivalency
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that earnings increase as educational attainment rises (BLS, 2022). Studies show that high school diploma recipients earn over 25 percent more than those who did not finish high school. BLS data also show that unemployment decreases as education increases. Centro Hispano launched the HiSET Program in 2017 to bridge significant income and wealth disparities for Latinos in East Tennessee.
The program partners closely with adult learners to foster an educational foundation from which graduates can access more workforce opportunities. Our educators are passionate about identifying and meeting educational needs with planning and individual support. Moreover, our team is trained and committed to helping students operationalize educational tools, testing strategies, and resources to optimize educational success and enhance earning potential.
To learn more about eligibility, class schedules, and how it works, visit our FAQ. For more information, contact Rubi Flores at r.floresreyes@centrohispanotn.org.
Financial Education
Centro Hispano has partnered with the UnidosUS Financial Empowerment Network (FEN), a national network of bilingual financial coaches that can help you establish a savings plan, create a budget, build credit, manage loans and much more! We have also joined forces with Homesource East Tennessee to help clients learn about the process of purchasing a home. In this quarterly, four-session series, bilingual financial counselors help potential homeowners reach their dream of homeownership with modules on everything from creating a financial vision to maintaining a sustainable budget.
Centro also offers monthly financial education workshops on a variety of topics such as budgeting, savings, debt management, fraud detection, and credit building. These classes are offered through partnerships with local banking and financial institutions.
For more information, please contact Marlene Cervantes at m.cervantes@centrohispanotn.org or 865.405.5189.
Medical Interpreter Training
Unfortunately, qualified interpreters are scarce in our region, and many medical institutions have relied heavily on telephonic interpretation. But these services can be impersonal, inaccurate, and unreliable, and as we emerge from the pandemic, organizations are working hard to find and secure trained interpreters.
Luckily, one of the Latino community’s greatest strengths is its linguistic diversity! Centro Hispano’s Medical Interpreter Training Program introduces an exciting early career option for bilingual individuals, is encouraging more Latinos to consider careers in the medical field, and aims to increase health equity across East Tennessee. Recruitment begins in March for classes starting at the end of June, with new cohorts beginning every 8 months.
Applicants should be fully bilingual in speaking English and Spanish (speakers of indigenous Mayan dialects are encouraged to contact Centro to discuss possibilities) and will need to complete a language fluency evaluation prior to full acceptance into the program. Applicants should also be of Latino descent, over the age of 18, and have a high school diploma or GED/HiSET. Interpreters in training will need to commit significant evening hours (approximately 10-12 per week) to study and class time through the summer and will need to have access to reliable transportation.
See the short documentary made about our very first group of interpreters here.
For more information, please contact Dalia Rodriguez-Rojo at interpreter@centrohispanotn.org.
