Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs - Building Homes and Strengthening Communities

GED Classes

Jorge Reyes, TDHCA

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Loaves and Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley, Harlingen Emergency Solutions Grants Program
Photo: Jorge Reyes, TDHCA

Losing a job is never easy, especially in tough economic times. Additionally, if a person doesn’t have the job skills or the education employers are looking for, finding a new job can seem near impossible. Fortunately for people living in the Rio Grande Valley, Loaves and Fishes of the Rio Grande Valley (LFRGV) in Harlingen is an excellent resource to help them improve their job skills and/or continue their education.

With a classroom with 8 training stations, LFRGV offers several computer training courses and General Educational Development (GED) preparation classes for individuals who want to improve their chances of getting a good job. Four week computer training courses focusing on basic computer skills, including introduction to Word and Excel, keyboarding classes to brush up on typing skills, and resume preparation classes.

Gary is a student looking to improve his computer skills. Gary W. has worked as a mechanic and a carpenter and wants to add to his job skills. “I’d like to try something different and these days with this bad economy you have to know how to use a computer.”

GED preparation classes are also very popular. Prior to the economic downturn of 2008, LFRGV had ten to twelve people a month sign up for their GED preparation class. After the downturn, the number jumped up to thirty to thirty-five people.

Evaristo C. is one of them. A welder since he was eighteen, Evaristo, has new goals in life. Getting his GED is one of them. “I’ve been welding for a long time and now I want to try something new. I want my GED. I want to focus on my education and do something different with my life.”

TDHCA’s Emergency Solutions Grants Program ensures that LFRGV will continue to help people who want to better themselves and their communities’ one keystroke at a time.

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Learn more about this program:
Emergency Solutions Grants Program