CHICAGO – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel today visited the Paul Simon Job Corps Center to raise awareness in the Hispanic community about career opportunities and resources to obtain job skills and expertise. The event was part of the kick-off to a new Discovery Communications multimedia initiative, “Descubre Tu Talento,” which will provide Spanish-language tips about workforce preparation, and links to education and training resources from across the public and private sectors.

“As the fastest growing group in the country, Latino progress in this recovery is critical to the nation as a whole,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. “Ensuring our changing workforce continues to have access to critical career resources means working collaboratively with the private sector to reach new audiences and providing tailored tools to meet changing needs,”

“I am focused on building an environment that will create jobs for all Chicagoans, and this innovative program will open new opportunities for Hispanic Chicagoans who are seeking to advance their careers,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This program is a seamless integration of the public sector and the private sector, and will positively affect the lives of many of our residents and improve their neighborhoods and communities.”

Resources and tips will be highlighted by on-air personalities during Discovery en Español broadcasts via a Spanish-language website and social media channel, and through local employers providing firsthand exposure to career opportunities. As one of the first collaborations, AT&T’s Hispanic employee resource group, HACEMOS, will mentor students at the Paul Simon Job Corps Center. Additionally, volunteers with AT&T’s Career4Vets initiative will advise veterans exploring career opportunities in the telecommunications industry.

Job Corps, administered by the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration, is the nation’s largest career technical training and education program for students ages 16-24. The program serves approximately 60,000 young people each year at 125 centers in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

This effort follows “Discover Your Skills,” a public engagement campaign launched by Discovery Communications last year to highlight the importance of training workers to fill critical jobs in manufacturing, health care, energy, technology, construction and other industries. 

For additional information about Descubre Tu Talento and Discover Your Skills, visit http://www.tudiscovery.com/descubretutalento and http://www.discoveryourskills.com, respectively. To learn more about Job Corps, see http://www.jobcorps.gov.

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