CAreer Pathways provides access to free online learning for California residents

Unemployed individuals now have a new resource to take advantage of - 13 On Your Side's Vanessa Gongora reports

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - There's a new way to get back on track and help you get back into the workforce after the pandemic.

CAreer Pathways is designed to give those with a California library card free access to thousands of online classes.

This is such a great resource for library cardholders. Not only will they have access to a variety of courses, but also earn certifications and learn broader job skills from how to open a business to how to use an iPad.

Many courses are offered in multiple languages.

With Imperial County's unemployment rate at 16% the Mayor of Calexico Javier Moreno says this is crucial and beneficial to residents of the Imperial Valley.

"People who are used to going back to the pandemic, so some of them lost their jobs so for whatever reason they couldn't maintain their jobs, working from home because the pandemic really took a hit on the unemployment," explains Moreno. "So the CAreer Pathways does those things for people who lost those skills sets right? And going back into the job market with entrepreneurship and they want to see employment."

The Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocated $4.4 million in pandemic recovery funds to create this program.

There is even a service to assist veterans.

"The other one we have is VETNOW. That's for veterans. It's an all-in-one suite of services designed for them with a wide range of careers for veterans and links the veterans to the veterans affairs system. That's pretty cool," says Moreno.

The State of California has invested in CAreer Pathways access through the fall of 2024. 

You can start your education search by clicking here.