U.S. Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-District 21) visited Wellington on Wednesday, April 20 to announce that she had secured $525,000 through the federal appropriations process to expand the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s Career Bound 3.0 Workforce Training Program.
The career readiness program will enable youth in high-need communities to rise up from generational poverty while growing the skilled labor force needed throughout Palm Beach County. The funding is allocated for the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington, the Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach and Florence De George Boys & Girls Club of West Palm Beach.
“Technology is making dramatic changes to the way we live and work. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is making sure these children will be ready for that future workforce,” Frankel said at a check presentation ceremony at the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington. “We want to give our children the best opportunities possible, and I am proud of what the Boys & Girls Clubs do every day.”
Frankel then asked the club members attending the presentation, “Kids, are you ready for drones, 3-D printers and high-end computers?” The children responded with an excited, “Yes!”
The funding will cover the costs of equipment and training staff and will be aligned with high-growth jobs identified in Florida’s targeted industries. A STEM lab will include learning robotics, drone construction and flight design, and virtual reality. A technology center will teach club members how to code, and support their academic and college readiness programs. A digital media studio and recording studio will teach multi-media production. The maker space program will include tools such as 3-D printers and laser cutters.
“Needless to say, we were very excited to hear from the representative when President Biden had signed off on the appropriations bill,” President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County Jaene Miranda said. “This was our first time going through this experience, and it is my strong belief that community project funding allows our legislators, who truly understand the needs of their districts, to target funds for important projects that can solve policy problems and, in our case, prepare our future workforce and industry leaders.”
Learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County at www.bgcpbc.org.
