Contact: Alissa Friedman / OPTIC ++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(925) 776-1133 x 117 / alissa@optic-cc.org
MAYOR FREITAS TO HONOR OPTIC GRADUATES
November 20, 2003 - The Honorable Donald P. Freitas, Mayor of Antioch, will be the keynote speaker at the December 5 graduation ceremony at Opportunities for Technology Information Careers (OPTIC).
The City of Antioch has been a key supporter of the OPTIC job training and placement program, which helps low-income residents gain the skills they need in order to obtain high-wage employment. The program's emphasis on “Powering Business, Empowering Lives” through its partnerships with local businesses and employers has resonated strongly with residents, businesses, and government, according to Mayor Freitas.
The ceremony and celebration will begin at 6 PM and will feature testimonials, presentation of certificates from Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher and Supervisor Federal Glover, and appetizers from Antioch's Thai Rice Cuisine and other local restaurateurs. Members of the public are invited to join in the festivities, which will be held at the OPTIC offices at 3102 Delta Fair Boulevard.
OPTIC graduates, who are trained in life skills and the Microsoft Office suite of applications, are employed throughout Eastern Contra County and beyond, with such prestigious employers as Kaiser Permanente, the Contra Costa County IT Department, and Morrison & Foerster. OPTIC prides itself on preparing its participants to meet the real needs of employers and itself employs three full-time and two part-time OPTIC alumni.
The graduation ceremony will also be a time to celebrate the addition of six new members to the OPTIC Advisory Board, including The Honorable Yvonne Beals, Mayor of Pittsburg, Robert Beck of the Pittsburg Adult Education Center, Timothy Carlisle of the Contra Costa County Department of Information Technology, Kristine Chase of St. Mary's College, Juan Prieto of the California Human Development Corporation, and David Waitrovich of Merrill Lynch Private Wealth.
As soon as graduation is over, OPTIC will begin recruiting for its next class, which begins on January 5, 2004. The recruitment theme is “Are you ready to turn your life around?” and applications will be accepted December 3-19, 2003. For additional information, contact Program Coordinator Natalie Georgia at 925-776-1133.
OPTIC has been singled out as a model workforce development program by the Digital Government Summit, the National Association of Counties, and Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher.
OPTIC's work is made possible by the investments and partnerships of the following public and private organizations: the Wells Fargo Foundation, the SBC Foundation, the Community Technology Foundation of California, the United Way of the Bay Area, the East Bay Community Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the Waitrovich Family Fund, the Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation, the Women's Foundation, the Y & H Soda Foundation, the Gonzales Family Foundation, the California Endowment, Citibank, the SkillSoft e-Learning Foundation, Mervyn's Community Closet, Wardrobe for Opportunity, the City of Antioch CDBG Program, the City of Pittsburg CDBG Program, the Contra Costa County CDBG Program, the State of California Employment Development Department, the Department of Education, Pittsburg Adult Education, the California Consumer Protection Foundation, the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department, and the Keller Canyon Landfill Mitigation Fund.
OPTIC's mission is to provide low-income Contra Costa residents with the technology and life skills that will enable them to become economically self-sufficient. OPTIC also runs the Delta Community Technology Center (Delta CTC), which provides computer-based adult education and community technology access in the evenings. OPTIC is located at 3102 Delta Fair Boulevard in Antioch, Calif. For more information, please visit http://www.optic-cc.org or call (925) 776-1133.
###
For media information, to schedule an interview or to request digital images, please contact Alissa Friedman at (925) 776-1133 or alissa@optic-cc.org
Close Window