Workshops For Warriors® 10TH Anniversary Gala
This spring, Rancho Santa Fe resident Dick Arendsee was introduced to Workshops for Warriors, a nonprofit school that trains veterans, wounded warriors and transitioning service members for careers in advanced manufacturing. After meeting with founder and CEO Hernán Luis y Prado and touring the facility, Arendsee began championing the cause, even going so far as to transport his friends by bus to the 10th Anniversary Gala onboard the USS Midway. Workshops for Warriors is a nonprofit that Arendsee and his wife, Judy, ardently support.
Founded in 2008, Workshops for Warriors is a state-licensed, board governed, fully audited 501(c)3 nonprofit school. Workshops for Warriors provides quality hands-on training, accredited STEM educational programs and opportunities to earn third party nationally recognized credentials in machining and welding at no cost to veterans. Graduates obtain portable, stackable credentials after successful completion of an intensive 16-week program that includes both classroom and hands-on training. In addition, students receive job-readiness training and are frequently hired during the career fairs held every semester.
According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the skills gap has become a significant problem that industry cannot ignore. NAM projects that although U.S. manufacturers will need an additional three-and-a-half million workers over the next 10 years, more than half of these jobs may go unfilled because employers can’t find workers with the proper skills and certifications. Workshops for Warriors offers a solution to the skills gap by providing a pipeline of skilled workers to industry. In short, the school is a game-changer, not only for the students they serve, but for the national and global economies.
Workshop for Warriors is making significant, lasting improvements and building a better future for veterans and their families. With the support of industry and private donors, service members are becoming better equipped to transition to civilian life with hope, renewed purpose and a stable career.
Questions? Please contact John Jones, USMC (Ret.), Director of Development at Workshops for Warriors: Cell: 970-631-3542; Email: john@wfw.org. More information about Workshops for Warriors can be found at WFW.org