Marano Fellows Class of 2014
Name: Lisa Varon
Title:

Vice President of Education and Workforce Services

Organization:

Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Location: Philadelphia, PA
Industry Sector: Early Childhood Education,. Adult Education and overall Job Readiness Training

Organizational Background & Mission: Congreso's mission is to strengthen Latino communities through social, economic, education, and health services; leadership development; and advocacy.

Congreso is a nationally recognized multi-service organization. Congreso's goal is to alleviate poverty and promote economic self-sufficiency to ensure that our most vulnerable populations have the educational credentials and workforce skills to compete in a global economy. Congreso places the client at the center for all decisions and achieves its goals through measuring client outcomes and creating strategic partnerships. Congeso is an established leader of education, workforce, and health, behavioral health, and safety services.

Interest in Sector Work: Congreso has always had an interest in Workforce Development as a way to alleviate poverty and promote self-sufficiency. As, such the organization has had a host of sector skill based programs, over its 36 year history and has partnered with many Corporations to meet their workforce needs. Currently, the agency is working to further enhance its Child Development Associate Program that has a direct pipeline to our on Harcum College at Congreso program where students can turn their industry recognized credential into a Early Childhood Education Associate’s degree. Congreso is also interested in expanding the types of sector skills training it offers and looks forward to learning about the role of a multi-service agency in support and implementing sector based work, by removing barriers for clients and supporting the achievement of their goals.