RSVP for Latino Academy of Workforce Development 10th Anniversary Celebration

press release: For the last decade, the Latino Academy of Workforce Development (a program of the Vera Court Neighborhood Center, Inc.) has supported more than 10,000 individuals and improved their quality of life through education, workforce training, and job placement. On Thursday, February 24, 2022, the Latino Academy will host a reception to celebrate our 10th anniversary. This celebration will highlight our growth and success and unveil our future as we become an independent organization. The event takes place from 4:30-6:30 pm at Garver Feed Mill.

If you have not already done it, please RSVP by February 16. 

This new chapter as a separate nonprofit organization will help us better serve the community with culturally responsive and high-demand workforce training to meet South Central Wisconsin’s labor needs.

Join us to meet our board members, the staff, and volunteers who hold the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, Inc's goal of taking care of our most important asset, our community. 

If you are unable to attend in person, you will be able to follow the event's program virtually. A zoom link will be sent to those who request it. We look forward to moving forward together!

With gratitude,

Latino Academy Staff

Please note: Full vaccination is required.

COVID-19 in-person precautions: Your safety is paramount to us. Please know that we will be taking every precaution possible to ensure a clean, safe environment to conduct our in-person event. We plan to do all of the following: 

• Proof of vaccination will be required; either an original, copy or picture of your vaccination card, or a MyChart vaccination summary. 
• Latino Academy will institute a strict mask mandate. Everyone will be required to wear a mask at all times during the event (except when eating). 
• There will be a color-coded system that will allow everyone to know how comfortable each individual is with distance and personal spacing. 

Individuals experiencing symptoms of sickness are asked to please not attend in-person.

More on the organization The Latino Academy of Workforce Development is South Central Wisconsin’s newest Latino-led independent nonprofit organization, building on over a decade of growth as a program within the Vera Court Neighborhood Center and supporting more than 10,000 individuals in providing the region’s only bilingual and culturally competent workforce training and adult educational services. The Latino Academy’s success lies in its approach of developing personalized career planning and ongoing coaching and mentoring support to each adult student during and after the training process. The Latino Academy works closely with employers and regional workforce development boards to identify high-demand industries and create programs that align with industry needs and access to good jobs.

The Latino Academy was inspired by the community’s desire to create a welcoming space, one that understood and respected the tremendous challenges of the immigrant life experience. Working with a wide range of educational and skills development partners, the Latino Academy’s program offerings have expanded steadily to include commercial drivers license training, manufacturing, forklift and construction, GED completion and ESL classes along with job readiness skills and continued professional support into the workplace. The Latino Academy’s community of students continue to seek out and meet high expectations for achieving education and career advancement. Enrollments have surged during the pandemic, addressing the reskilling and upskilling interests with 5,870 hours of instruction in 2021. “Our work is inspired by our students’ resilience and determination,” said Baltazar De Anda Santana, the Latino Academy’s Co-Founder and Executive Director. “Our independence is just the beginning of our journey to further strengthen our Wisconsin community and provide the pathways for our students to advance and prosper.”

Independence comes after a year of planning with an advisory board about how to best advance the Latino Academy’s focus on equitable access to education, employment and economic opportunities. "We are very proud of the wonderful work the students and staff of the Latino Academy have done and we are confident they will continue to expand their quality work as an independent organization," stated Vera Court Executive Director Thomas Solyst. A priority focus for the coming year is the funding and establishment of the new Regional Transportation Training Center, which will address the statewide shortage of commercial truck drivers by providing Latinos and Non-Latinos in South Central Wisconsin with comprehensive Commercial Drivers License (CDL) training, support and placement with the region’s employers.