GILROY
– New business, meet young worker. Young worker, meet new
business.
GILROY – New business, meet young worker. Young worker, meet new business.
That’s the introduction the Mexican American Community Services Agency wants to make between the young adults in its job-training program and the managers of dozens of new retail stores and restaurants open or opening soon in the city.
MACSA will host a dinner on Feb. 6 inside the Employment Development Department and social services offices on Leavesley Road – the same building from which MACSA runs its Workforce Investment Act job-training program. Invited will be WIA participants, aged 14 to 21, and representatives of many new businesses, especially those in new developments on the east side of U.S. Highway 101.
So far, reps from Costco discount store, the new El Amigo restaurant, Maui Tacos, Leather by Michael Lawrence and Hometown Buffet have confirmed they will attend, according to Maria Elena de la Garza, who directs MACSA’s programs in Gilroy.
The dinner will feature traditional Mexican fare and is hoped to be a quarterly affair in the future, de la Garza said.
The idea came about as MACSA staff brainstormed how to hook their program participants up with all the new businesses coming to town, many of which are happy to hire teen-agers to fill their many low-wage staffing needs.
“We were just thinking about, how do we engage new businesses in this community,” de la Garza said. “We felt that it was crucial (for) the youth programs in this community to make that connection.”
It’s also an opportunity to welcome the businesses to town in the hope they’ll stay for many years to come, de la Garza said.
“We’re happy they’re here,” she said.
Also at the dinner, MACSA will pay special honor to Bonfante Gardens since the horticultural theme park has hired so many WIA youth for summer jobs in the past.
For more information, call MACSA at 847-4686.
