Futures looks bright for Catholic Charities’ Education and Workforce program grads

Nine young men are now on their way to new careers thanks to Catholic Charities.

Staff from Catholic Charities’ Education and Workforce Training program presented the students with their certification in telecommunications, network cabling for copper and fiber optics and 5G systems, along with grounding and bonding on Friday, June 21, at Harvest House on Buffalo’s East Side.

Recognizing the need for qualified workers in the telecommunications and network cabling field, Catholic Charities offers both day and night C-Tech program sessions. A total of 75 students have graduated over the past year.

“When they leave, they leave with five nationally recognized certifications, and in addition to that OSHA 10 certification, so they are ready and employable once they complete this course,” explained James Lowe, senior director, Catholic Charities Workforce Education. The hope is that the students find work in Western New York to give back to the community.

“A majority of the students who come through our program have a high school diploma or a GED. They do not have college degrees,” said Tammy Hayes, program supervisor for Workforce Development. “They come in, and not only do they get certification that helps them to get a very well-paying job, we also do financial literacy and wraparound skills.”

This is the seventh cohort to graduate since the program began last July. The course runs for 12 weeks, five days a week, four hours a day, offering more than 200 hours of training. The students receive five certifications in the telecommunications field. Jobs in the field pay between $21 and $27 an hour on average.

“I learned a lot through here,” said Marquil Banks, one of the graduates from this cohort. “I definitely see that my future is very bright. I had a very narrow scope of what I was looking at, and she helped me broaden my horizons.”

Five spots are still open for the July 9 cohort. Contact 716-512-8404 for more information.