Press Release

August 14, 2012
CARDIN HOLDS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON JOBS AT THE WESTPHALIA TRAINING CENTER
Senator Meets with Students and Employers

UPPER MARLBORO, MD – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today held a Roundtable discussion about jobs with students, faculty and employers at the Westphalia Training Center.   The Westphalia Training Center is operated by the Prince George’s Community College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education division and provides 500 students with hands-on training for jobs in the community.

“The right job training is the key to getting a job in this economy, and I commend the Westphalia Training Center for understanding what employers are looking for in their workers and for providing students with the training they need to succeed,” said Senator Cardin during his visit.  “It also is important that we continually assess and reevaluate what our students need and what businesses are looking for in their employees.”

During his visit, Senator Cardin met with Dr. Charlene M. Dukes, President of the Prince George’s Community College and employers who partner with Westphalia Training Center in training and hiring workers.

“Prince George’s Community College at Westphalia Training Center offers unique opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the college and business community,” said Charlene M. Dukes, president of Prince Georges Community College.  “Senator Cardin’s support of training centers, like Westphalia, is evidence of the commitment that our leaders have in the state of Maryland to provide real-world settings for job seekers and career-changers to quickly learn skills necessary for today’s workforce,”  she added.

The Center provides training in construction trade areas including residential, industrial and commercial construction; building maintenance engineer training; carpentry; electricity; residential wiring; heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC/R) certification; locksmithing; plumbing; and welding training.  It also offers arborist and landscaping classes, as well as hair braiding instruction.

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