Jesus needed his GED to get a job, but his experience at The Job Spot inspired him to aim higher.
After nearly a decade delivering newspapers part time, Jesus Serrano says he dreamed of landing a better-paying, full-time position with benefits.
He applied for several jobs. Employers, however, rejected him because he lacked a high school degree.
“Most of the jobs ask you for the high school diploma or a GED,” Serrano says.
Last year, he went the Bakersfield Adult School to enroll and study for a GED. That is when a school adviser told him he could study closer to his home at the school’s new workforce development center, The Job Spot.
“It made me believe in myself again.”
Jesus Serrano, former student at The Job Spot
Established in 2017, The Job Spot operates through a partnership between Bakersfield Adult School, Bakersfield College and America’s Job Center of California.
“The Job Spot was designed as a multifaceted agency to better serve students who have employment barriers, who are facing multiple levels of poverty and other resource barriers,” says Endee Grijalva, program manager for adult education at Bakersfield College. “Our goal is to get them into a career field or a guided pathway to a career.”
Mark Wyatt, the Bakersfield Adult School’s principal director, calls The Job Spot an “all-in-one” facility where adult learners can obtain remediation, study for their high school diploma or GED, learn English as a second language and obtain job training in areas such as nursing, medical billing and information technology. Students can also get help finding a job or transferring to college.
“We’ve had 40 students to transfer to Bakersfield College for full-time community college work,” he says. Additionally, several students have passed their GED exams, “a first step toward employment.”
Moreover, The Job Spot has hosted several job fairs, Wyatt says.
“I’m an immigrant,” says Serrano, “so English is my second language and I’m still learning. But I was able to improve my writing skills while attending the classes.”
Serrano passed his GED in March 2018, however, he says his teachers encouraged him to set his sights higher. He is currently a student at Bakersfield College and plans to become an ultrasound technician, he says.
“It made me believe in myself again and showed me that if other people can do it, then I can do it, too.”
For more information on Kern Adult Education Consortium, visit https://www.kernaec.org/.
Written by Gail Allyn Short
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Central California | High School |
