San Jacinto College offering financial assistance for industry training

San Jacinto College payroll instructor Dr. Annette Johnson-Williams (standing) instructs students Kelly Lavallais and Veronica Wren as part of the college's Adult Basic Education grant.

San Jacinto College has been offering grant-funded courses to unemployed and underemployed students over the past year.

The financially assisted program has helped these students earn certificates vital to businesses requiring specific skill sets. Michael Dawson decided to take advantage of this opportunity after being laid off from a math teaching position. He is now pursuing an alternative career path in accounting and payroll thanks to the Adult Basic Education grant through San Jacinto.

"What I'm learning here are skills that I can take to employers to offer them in-house payroll options, to help save them money without having to outsource this type of work," said Dawson. "In this one course, we learn so much more in addition to payroll. We're also taught how to prepare our resume and cover letter for job positions and how to gain experience quickly to get us ahead in the job market."

The Texas Workforce Commission has listed accounting, nursing, and computer information technology as hot fields in the Houston area. San Jacinto College's Continuing and Professional Development division has taken advantage of this and begun offering grant funding for certificate programs in these career fields.

"There are jobs out there in these areas," said Dr. Annette Johnson-Williams, a business teacher at San Jacinto who says approximately five students per class immediately receive a job after course completion. "So often, people are misguided in their careers and are not industry ready. We try to show them how to navigate the job market and how to move into the workforce or gain more education."

For more information about the ABE grant or courses offered through San Jacinto College, visit cpd.sanjac.edu or call 281-476-1838.