It isn’t every day that prayers are answered but VOLT Institute’s just did, thanks to a generous donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help fund the revolutionary new VOLT On The Go program. On Friday, Oct. 6 officials from Opportunity Stanislaus, the nonprofit that oversees VOLT Institute, hosted a check presentation ceremony where Elder Gary B. Sabin, First Counselor of the North America West Area of the Church, made public their decision to make a gift to support the program.
The gift makes it possible to ramp up the VOLT on the Go program, wherein instructors travel offsite to offer manufacturing and soft skill trainings previously only available at the school’s downtown Modesto campus. The program got its start with funding from the Economic Development Administration, Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, and US Bank and has until now focused on bringing training to the sites of area businesses looking for a convenient way to upskill their workforce.
This donation will expand VOLT on the Go’s scope to help individuals in underserved communities, where low-skill populations fight barriers such as homelessness, lack of transportation and citizenship status, which make it impossible to attain the knowledge needed to gain employment and increase their quality of life. The training focuses on things like electrical systems and process controls, providing expertise that will prepare participants for entry-level jobs in manufacturing, one of the county’s leading industries. When needed, participants will also receive job readiness training, to help them apply and interview for jobs and understand which behaviors and attitudes businesses value.
Opportunity Stanislaus Chief Executive Officer David White, who helped start VOLT Institute in response to demand from local companies for maintenance workers, expressed his appreciation for the windfall.
“We are very grateful for this significant donation by the Church which will make it possible for some of our community’s neediest people to transform their lives,” said White. “This is the first local program that can offer free training to people without them having to agonize over things like transportation. We have thought of everything and have engaged partners such as International Rescue Committee, Modesto Gospel Mission, Cambridge Academies, and the Downtown Streets Team to assist us in spreading the word about this resource.”
As for why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided to make such a generous gift, the Church has always had a focus on serving and helping others with their humanitarian efforts including an emphasis on connecting their members to volunteering opportunities.
“As a church we take seriously the charge by the Savior Jesus Christ to help the poor and needy and to teach self-reliance,” said Sabin. “We are happy to have programs like VOLT on the Go locally that provide this help and training.”
