Santa Cruz Public Libraries Awarded Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants for Workforce Development Programming
Two Grants Totaling $115,000 Leverage Community Partnerships and Fund Career Development Workshops and One-on-One Career Search Assistance
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) have been awarded two Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants to expand career development services. A $100,000 Collaborative Grant project called the "Santa Cruz Workforce Collaborative" brings together community partners such as the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership's (MBEP) Workforce Development Initiative, Cabrillo College's Career Technical Education (CTE), Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs, Goodwill Central Coast Career Center, and Your Future is Our Business. The grant funding will support career development workshops for teens and adults in English and Spanish, as well as one-on-one assistance for job seekers in the
Downtown Library's Life Literacies Center. The grant also funds devices and hotspots, transportation to interviews, and MBEP's Monterey Bay Career Coach Tool for job seekers.
A second LSTA grant in the amount of $15,000 creates a formal partnership between the Libraries and the Workforce Development Board of Santa Cruz County. This funding will support education and training for library staff and a Spring Resource Fair for job seekers. Together, these grant funds will help us create low-barrier entry points connecting people to training resources and better jobs.
Career development workshops begin in December and will continue through April. The first workshop, Career Spotlight for Teens is scheduled for 4 p.m. on December 1st. Resume and interview skill workshops will take place at 10 a.m. every 2nd Wednesday of the month starting on December 8th, and at 10 a.m. every 3rd Wednesday of the month in Spanish. Additional topics will also be presented in both English and Spanish throughout the winter and spring of 2022. Dedicated hours and staffing for English/Spanish bilingual career assistance at the Downtown Library's Life Literacies Center will begin in January 2022.
Download the press release here.
ABOUT MONTEREY BAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional nonprofit member-supported organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. MBEP's mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region. mbep.biz
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