PAC, Hispanic Chamber Form Partnership

Palo Alto College and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SAHCC) have joined forces to establish an “Access to Technology” educational program for chamber members seeking to master the latest technological tools available in today’s marketplace.

Fifteen classes are offered in the passport program which covers beginning to advance courses such as “Basic PC Maintenance and Troubleshooting,” “QuickBooks for Accounting” and “Web Design and Development.” Each course is individually priced, includes materials and is held at locations throughout San Antonio. For classes of 10 or more students, training can be conducted on-site at the customer’s business location.

“We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunities that it will bring small business owners who otherwise might not be able to attend classes such as these to improve their business skills,” said A.J. Rodriguez, president and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “This would not have been possible without the gracious support of the AT&T Foundation, who contributed monetary resources needed to launch the program.”

According to PAC Information Technology Program Manager Tod Bruning, the courses were developed based on a technology training needs assessment conducted by the SAHCC for its membership. Course offerings are scheduled to begin Aug. 1, and SAHCC members will receive a 20 percent discount over regular catalog prices for the program.

Under terms of the partnership agreement, the Hispanic Chamber will provide Palo Alto College with $18,000 in scholarships during the life of the agreement, which expires in December 2008.