Tec Centro partners with Fulton Foundation on workforce grant

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A $250,000 grant has been awarded to Tec Centro Workforce Network by the Fulton Forward Foundation. 

Tec Centro Workforce Network provides bilingual education and skills training at locations in Berks, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties. According to a release, Tec Centro collaborates with area community colleges and training programs to provide skilled training that will lead to careers in high-demand areas, including allied health occupations, construction trades, culinary arts, commercial and industrial building maintenance, and bank teller/customer service representatives. 

Fulton’s investment will support bilingual education and training to underserved populations in central Pennsylvania. 

“Fulton’s generous endowment to Tec Centro not only increases the long-term stability of our mission, but it also supports our shared commitment to building and sustaining a thriving economy through workforce development,” Carlos Graupera, president of the Tec Centro Workforce Network, said in a statement. “With their support, we can expand our assistance to more low-income communities and forge new relationships that will further enable local unemployed and underserved individuals to access the resources they need to build a better future.” 

Funded by Fulton Bank, the Fulton Forward Foundation is an independent, non-profit private foundation. The funding will be distributed over the next five years to support Tec Centro Workforce Network’s expansion of regional workforce development centers in the area, including new curriculum and equipment for each training center, per a release. The Network is focused on creating job training and workforce development opportunities across Tec Centro organizations, in addition to a new Tec Centro in Harrisburg this year. 

“Through this initiative, Fulton Bank has the opportunity to help create a pathway to self-sufficiency for underserved members of the community,” said William “Smokey” Glover, executive vice president and director of fair and responsible banking for Fulton Bank and president of Fulton Forward Foundation. “We’re proud to play a role in the Tec Centro Workforce Network mission to help individuals and families rise out of the cycle of poverty with the education, skills, and training needed to secure high-demand jobs and careers that contribute to the region’s economy.”