The Odessa Development Corporation (ODC) is teaming up with TRC, an Odessa consulting firm, Odessa College, and the Odessa Chamber of Commerce to organize “Immigration is Big Business for Workforce” at Odessa College Sept. 19.
The event will take place in the Zant Community Room on the second floor of the Saulsbury Building on the Odessa College campus. The event will kick off with a continental breakfast and networking beginning at 7:30 a.m., followed by various presentations related to immigration and workforce throughout the morning. The program is scheduled to wrap up at approximately 2 p.m.
Various presentations on Workforce, Law Enforcement and Immigration, Human Trafficking, the Process for Immigration along with Asylum Proceedings and Eligibility of Benefits will be discussed. Presenters include Lisa Bownds, CEO/founder of Reflections Ministries of Texas, Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis, Edwardo Rodriguez with the Legal Intelligence Agency, Theresa Servin, executive director of TRC, and Chelsey Kramer with the American Immigration Council.
This program is intended to lead to an Immigration Resource Center for the Permian Basin (IRCPB) that will be a safe place for people to come and address immigration-related questions and needs. The mission of the IRCPB will be to connect and empower immigrants with resources to achieve legal documentation, fulfill their economic needs, and integrate into the community. The IRCPB also plans to have an Outreach Language Program providing English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adult immigrants in the Permian Basin.
The focus of this program is to serve as many adult ESL students as possible by coordinating times and places to eliminate the barriers of work, transportation, and other challenges. Depending on available funding, the center will also offer citizenship classes as often as possible. Through ESL and citizenship education, immigrants are empowered to become active participants in their community.
“Immigration is Big Business for Workforce” is free to attend, but advance registration is required, https://form.jotform.com/Lindsey_Simpkins/immigrationworkforcemeeting.
