2GEN CENTER FOR STRENGTHENING FAMILIES LAUNCHED TO ADDRESS FAMILY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:
ACM Adult Basic Education, HRDC, and YMCA Family Center Partnership
CUMBERLAND, Md. (Nov. 9, 2020) – The Allegany College of Maryland Adult Basic Education (ABE) program, in partnership with Human Resources Development Commission (HRDC) Head Start & Early Head Start and the YMCA Family Center, recently formed the 2Gen Center for Strengthening Families. The initiative is funded by the Maryland Community Action Partnership through HRDC with the goal of developing programmatic infrastructure to address family workforce development, according to HRDC’s Department of Children and Family Services Director Rebecca Robey.
Through the 2GEN Center for Strengthening Families, ABE instructors will offer valuable workshops that utilize the ACT WorkKeys© Work Readiness Essential Employment Skills training modules. These modules prepare individuals for employment in a customizable study schedule and offer detailed instructional content, and are available to families free of charge. Individuals can register to take one or all of the WorkKeys© Essential Skills Workshops. Topics include: Customer Service, Financial Awareness, Interpersonal & Business Communication, Problem Solving, Work Discipline, Working in Teams, and Workplace Observations. The web-based courses are held at the YMCA Family Support Center on Baltimore Street in Cumberland. Dates and times depend on the courses selected.
Training priority is given to parents of young children. While the program is promoted to parents of children enrolled in HRDC Head Start and Early Head Start and YMCA programs, any interested parent is welcome to participate. The program will work individually to address childcare needs if that proves to be a barrier to participation.
“The 2Gen Center for Strengthening Families will help parents get the ‘soft skills’ needed for employability. Families succeed when they learn together. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between parents’ educational attainment and the success of their children’s education,” noted ACM ABE Instructional Specialist Deborah Hormuth.
The announcement of the 2Gen Center for Strengthening Families coincides with National Family Literacy Month, an initiative created by the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL). It's an opportunity to celebrate and emphasize the important role that families play in the education of children. NFCL is offering a month-long calendar of activities at familieslearning.org for fun, boredom-busting ways to encourage family literacy.
Additional information regarding the 2Gen Center for Strengthening Families, family literacy programs, or adult education classes is available at allegany.edu/abe or by calling 301-784-5445.
