LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the immigrant community continues to grow within Louisville, many of them seek freedom and new opportunities.
To help them adjust to their new life in Kentucky, the Louisville Metro Government funds different programs like a "Google Digital Skills Course" at Wesley House Community Services. That's located in south Louisville, in the Lynnview neighborhood.
The nonprofit said they have participants from various nationalities and that these free courses open the door to jobs that are not manual labor.
Mendell Grinter, the president and CEO of Wesley House, shared last year's statistics on who their participants are. They noticed a large majority identify as Hispanic/Latino and Black/Africa American. They also had many participants from the Middle East and Asia.
Classes are hosted in their Spectrum Training and Technology Center, but when there are more participants than the room can hold, Wesley House opens up their large hall to host the course.
It's usually a quiet work session as students utilize laptops and headphones to work on their skills. The headphones also allow participants who are not fluent in English to learn in their native tongue.
"So we have on headphones to make sure that individuals can hear and see information in their native language as they're processing and learning English," Grinter said.
The free courses are offered biweekly on Fridays. Belize native Shamae Edwards said this opens a door of opportunity for everyone.
"I've been in the manufacturing industry for 10 years," Edwards said. "So prior to that I did work in an office environment. I feel like I was a little out of touch with the new technology so I wanted to brush up on my skill and make me feel a lot comfortable with the competition that was out there."
Grinter said this opportunity is a chance for Louisvillians to keep up with the changing digital world we live in. It also let's them find jobs outside of manual labor.
"We have a lot of migrants in our community who are taking advantage of this program," Grinter said. "For them it's about learning English learning new skills to help put their best foot forward."
Bernadette Jeudy, a Haiti native, said she's taking the classes to further her future, and she also helps interprets for others who speak her language.
"Yes, I learn how to make a Google account, a resume, and do an interview," Jeudy said.
WHAS11 witnessed teachers and students in action where they learn how to use programs like Excel and Power Point along with setting up emails and navigating the Google search engine.
"I've looked on the internet and seen the cost of these courses and I can't afford them," Edwards said. "They're hundreds of dollars so to have this opportunity provided by the city of Louisville, it's priceless."
If you want to sign up for one of these biweekly courses click here find out how to contact Wesley House.
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