Spring 2010, Letter from the CEO
Building Talent, Creating Opportunities
It has been said that El Paso is a picture of what the nation will look like in 50 years. At Project ARRIBA we take that to heart. We understand that our population is young and predominantly Hispanic and once given the opportunity we are more than likely to succeed. For over ten years, ARRIBA has had the strategic vision of aligning the needs of regional employers with El Paso's human capital to create a more developed economy through demand skills training leading to careers with family sustaining wages and benefits. At ARRIBA we know that training our local workforce affects the region, which will impact the state and nation; and over time the world.
Studies show that employers are hiring more people with post secondary degrees as opposed to only a high school diploma or GED. Unfortunately, most high school graduates who enter post secondary education will never finish. By the year 2020, one out of every four American workers will be an immigrant from Latin America and over 50 percent will have less than a high school education1.
El Paso is at the cusp of major growth and expansion. Given that we have one of the largest military installation bases in the country. Also the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is one of the largest universities in the nation with a majority Mexican-American student population2 and El Paso Community College (EPCC) is the fastest growing community college in the State of Texas and the largest grantor of associate degrees to Hispanic students in the United States3. Project ARRIBA is uniquely positioned to enhance the great opportunities available to people in our region. As a labor market intermediary, Project ARRIBA’s workforce development model provides opportunities for people to succeed by creating, developing and securing the “Talent Force” in the Paso Del Norte Region.
We thank you for taking the time to learn about Project ARRIBA. We invite you to explore our website. If you are interested in volunteering opportunities please contact us at volunteer@projectarriba.org, we could use your experience and passion.
El Paso is a great place to live, work and play. Join us in the work to make this region a model for the nation.
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1 Workforce Strategy Center. (2009). Employers, Low-Income Young Adults, and Postsecondary Credentials A Practical Typology for Business, Education, and Community Leaders
2 http://www.utep.edu/aboututep/presidentswelcome.aspx
3 http://www.epcc.edu/Default.aspx?alias=www.epcc.edu/president
Thank you,
Roman S. Ortiz
Chief Executive Officer
