Literacy Pittsburgh Student Newsletter ![]() Student Services Spotlight: Hospitality Career Day and Office Hours The Career Services and Workforce Development teams at Literacy Pittsburgh are hosting a Hospitality Career Day. 📍Wednesday, October 11 11:00 am - 1:00 pm ![]() The following employers will be in attendance and providing on the spot interviews: If you need professional clothes for the event, Literacy Pittsburgh Service Coordinators will be doing on-the-spot referrals for Dress for Success, which provides clothing for self-identifying women, or providing $25 Goodwill gift cards at Literacy Pittsburgh's Downtown Center on October 2 and 3 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm in preparation for the career fair. Please stop by these office hours if you need a referral to Dress for Success or a Goodwill gift card! New Student PortalWe are happy to share that Literacy Pittsburgh has a new Student Portal at www.LPstudent.com. Here is a video showing how to use the portal. Make sure to look at the calendar page to see digital literacy workshops, student services events, and workforce program events. These are open to all Literacy Pittsburgh students! ![]() Student & Career Services Updates Career Spotlight: Restaurant Cook Do you love food? Are you always trying to keep busy? Consider becoming a restaurant cook! This job doesn’t require a formal education – but it does involve a willingness to learn new things and basic comprehension skills. Cooking in a restaurant is a hands-on job, meaning most of the training will be done on-site, though it is often an expectation that you will come in with some previous experience in a kitchen. The average wage for a restaurant cook is $16.40 per hour, which is around $34,110 annually. Important qualities you must have for this job: strong eyesight, the ability to stand for long periods of time, mobility, speed, and communication skills. The benefits? There are a variety of jobs to pick from, and you can go anywhere. Interested in a job as a restaurant cook? Contact Career Services at cangelo@literacypittsburgh.org! Upcoming Workshops and Events Career Workshops for Waiting List Students 📍 Wednesdays at 1:00 pm This is a series of 3 workshops available to all students - even before you start classes. These workshops are designed to get you started thinking about your goals and to ease you into learning with us. This month's offerings are:
Classes are open to all Literacy Pittsburgh students but those on the waiting list will receive priority. Register here. Remote Work Job Search Workshop 📍October 18, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Thinking you might want to work from home? Join JFCS's Maggie Lizzi to learn the ins and outs of finding a job where you can work from home. Interested? Register here. Questions? Email cangelo@literacypittsburgh.org Meet Meghan, PA CareerLink’s Career Advisor 📍 Thursday, October 26 PA CareerLink is an organization dedicated to helping Pennsylvanians get jobs and build job skills. The PA CareerLink representative can meet with students one-on-one, answer questions, present workshops, and more. Want to schedule a meeting? Have questions? Email cangelo@literacypittsburgh.org. Career Class – New Choices PA Women Work 📍Thursday, October 26, 2:00 pm – 4:45 pm Get ready to get a job with this class from PA Women Work!
The class is open to any Literacy Pittsburgh student, regardless of gender. Free In-Person Digital Skills Classes in Turtle Creek Human Services Center Mon Valley is partnering with Literacy Pittsburgh to host a free computer class series on Google products. Attendees will learn how to use Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive. Classes are open to the public and will take place in person. ![]() Everyone who registers for and attends a class will be entered to win a gift card! Free parking on-site and the location is on the PRT and Heritage Transportation bus lines. Registrations required for 1 class or all 3. Please register by calling 412-209-8468 or emailing digitalpgh@literacypittsburgh.org. For other classes and locations, please see our calendar on the student portal: www.lpstudent.com/calendar 2023 Step Out Walk To Stop Diabetes 📍Saturday, October 21, 9:00 am For more information, contact Registration for this event is FREE. ![]() Mission of Mercy Free Dental, Hearing, and Vision Clinic 📍Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28. Doors open at 6:00 am International Day Parade & Festival On Saturday, October 21, the City of Pittsburgh will host an International Day Parade and Festival to celebrate the many different nationalities who call Pittsburgh home, whether new to the area or living here for generations. ![]() The celebration will focus on the nations represented in Pittsburgh, not individual organizations. In addition to the parade, there will be a festival in Market Square with performances and vendor booths. The event is seeking parade participants representing different nations, as well as festival performers and vendors. The deadline for the registration is now Sunday, October 8. Get more details and sign up at this link. I am Ukraine Storytelling Project Literacy Pittsburgh volunteer tutor Sally Rafson is organizing a storytelling project called I Am Ukraine. She is looking for 10 people – 5 U.S. born citizens and 5 refugees, all with ties to Ukraine. The project involves meeting 4 Saturdays in the fall at City of Asylum, working with Ukrainian or English professionals to write a story about their identity, and then creating a video to share the story. For more details visit this link. ![]() Student Success StoriesCongratulations to the following students! ![]() Taiwan Barlow was among the first 12 graduates of the airport’s PIT2Work program, which provides training, certifications, and connections for the construction industry. He credits his teacher Vivienne McClellan for recommending that program to him. “She thought I would like it, and she was right,” Barlow says. “That was probably the best decision I’ve made in a long time." Ericka Duque Castano, recently got a new job. She will be working for ADB as a project manager in information systems. Ericka has been a Literacy Pittsburgh student for approximately 20 months. She was a student in Amanda’s Professional English Workshop in which Ericka learned about important job search skills, such as creating a resume and interviewing. Since the workshop, Ericka is attending Amanda’s Academic & Test Prep English class. Ericka is grateful for Literacy Pittsburgh's assistance in helping her to improve her English and create a solid resume that helped her secure her new position. Ericka will be leaving Literacy Pittsburgh soon due to her new work schedule, but we wish her all the best and lots of future success. ![]() Danielle Lewis was adamant about continuing her education, and Literacy Pittsburgh helped her a great deal. She was able to get her GED credential within 4 months. Danielle is going to enroll in an esthetician program at the South Hills Beauty School, and she would love to take a few college courses. This has always been her dream and now it can come true. ![]() "The teachers were so helpful and hands-on. I appreciate the time they took with me to ensure I was grasping the knowledge," Danielle said. Danielle also shared advice to give other students to help them be successful at Literacy Pittsburgh: “Ask questions if you don’t understand something. The teachers are there to help. Also interact with the other students if you are comfortable. Online class was very flexible for me, and I was able to study on my own as well. Literacy Pittsburgh gave me the tools and resources I needed.” Rosa Diendomi is a lawyer from the Dominican Republic in Teacher Amanda’s Business English class. Prior to starting classes at Literacy Pittsburgh, Rosa was having trouble passing her final exam in a clinic program in immigration law. However, she recently retook the test, and this time, she passed the final exam. Rosa sent an email to Amanda to let her know about the exciting news. She said in her email “I want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TEACHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LITERACY PITTSBURGH.” Additionally, Rosa has a goal of taking and passing the bar exam. She recently transferred from the Business English class to the Academic English class to help her improve her academic vocabulary, which she believes will help her with the bar exam. ![]() Cameron Simpson is a fashion designer and music producer born and raised in Pittsburgh. He recently passed the entrance test required to get into a program at Bidwell Training Center. Cameron’s goal is to keep pursuing education and learning, which means to him a lifetime journey. Cameron talked about his experience at Literacy Pittsburgh: “It’s helped me by realizing my time management skills need work, as well prioritizing most to less important matters.” Cameron’s advice to other students to help them be successful at Literacy Pittsburgh is to “stay consistent.” What is next for Cameron? “To pursue everything I set my mind to.” ![]() Share your success story with us! You can help inspire others who are overcoming barriers and working toward their goals. Email it to Najlaa at nebrahim@literacypittsburgh.org “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." |