The House Majority Policy Committee recently held a hearing to discuss how to support work force development in certain communities and the need for Community Development Financial Institutions.
Testifiers included representatives from Community First Fund, and the Spanish American Civic Association (SACA).
SACA representatives spoke about the organization’s Tec Centro program, a bilingual work force development center founded in Lancaster. The program helps participants enroll in work force programs, increase language skills, and find permanent employment.
Tec Centro has provided work force services to more than 6,000 people since SACA launched in 2014.
Community First Fund is a private, nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution. It launched in 2022 as Lancaster’s first community credit union and provides accessible services and financial coaching for low-income individuals and families.
“By offering support for Community Development Financial Institutions and programs like Tec Centro, we can continue to reinforce workforce development opportunities and provide families with financial services that haven’t been offered before,” House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) said. “We need to make sure no community or population in Pennsylvania is forgotten, so anything we can do to support underserved communities will be vital toward achieving that goal.”
The hearing was held at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster.