by SER National | Jul 3, 2026 | News & Updates
SER-JOBS FOR PROGRESS NATIONAL, INC. HONORS THE WORKERS, THE SKILLS, AND THE SHARED RESOLVE THAT HAVE CARRIED AMERICA ACROSS TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES.
Irving, Texas — As the United States marks 250 years of independence, today, on July 4, 2026, SER National joins communities across the country in celebrating a milestone few generations are privileged to witness: two and a half centuries of a nation built, sustained, and continually renewed by the talents of its people.
“Two hundred fifty years ago, a group of people declared that they were stronger together, and every generation since has had to prove it anew,” said Ignacio Salazar, President and CEO of SER National. “What we celebrate this Independence Day is not only a founding document, but the daily decision of millions of Americans to bring their skills, their labor, and their hope to a common future. That is the experiment, and it is succeeding.”
The semi-quincentennial is more than a date on the calendar. It is a testament to an idea once called the grand experiment: that a country drawn from every origin, background, and experience could become not many people, but one. From many, one. That promise, present at the nation’s founding, has endured through prosperity and hardship, through natural disaster and national trial. It endures still, carried forward by the will, perseverance, and hard work of generation after generation.
“That endurance is not abstract,” adds Salazar. “Today, more than 170 million Americans make up the nation’s labor force, their skills and effort powering the largest economy on earth, one that accounts for roughly a quarter of all global output. Behind those figures stands a simpler truth: the strength of the United States has always been the breadth of its people and the many gifts they bring. The tapestry is the achievement,” he states.
For the SER Network of Affiliates, that conviction is the work itself. For decades, they have served communities across the United States and Puerto Rico. Every year, more than 1 million program participants are assisted in building their skills, credentials, and confidence to enter the workforce and rise within it. Workforce development is, at its heart, the everyday renewal of the American promise: that with opportunity and effort, anyone can contribute to, and share in, the prosperity of a nation built by many hands.
“America’s next chapter will be written the same way the first 250 years were — by people who develop their talents, lift their neighbors, and refuse to be divided,” he said. “Our charge is to ensure that every person has the opportunity to contribute their full measure. When we do that, the promise of this country is not merely preserved. It grows.”
SER National invites Americans of every community to mark the moment in a spirit of unity and gratitude — to salute one another as neighbors and friends, to give thanks to our Creator for the blessings of this land, and to recognize how rare and significant this milestone truly is. Few will witness such a moment in a lifetime. This generation will see it firsthand.
by SER National | Jun 17, 2026 | News & Updates
AND THE ENDURING LINK BETWEEN FREEDOM AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN, LEARN, AND BUILD
IRVING, Texas — SER National joins Americans across the country in observing Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking June 19, 1865, the day Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all remaining enslaved people were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and only when word at last reached the final community to learn of its liberty.
“Juneteenth reminds us that freedom and opportunity belong together,” said Ignacio Salazar, SER National’s President and CEO. “Emancipation opened the door, but it was the chance to work, to learn a skill, and to earn a living that allowed people to walk through it and build something lasting. At SER, we honor that history every day by helping Americans gain the skills and the confidence to seize the opportunities in front of them.”
This year’s national observance, themed “Juneteenth Brings Balance to America’s Celebration of Freedom,” speaks directly to that truth: liberty and the opportunity to contribute are partners, and the nation is at its strongest when both are within every person’s reach.
“When a person gains a skill, earns a credential, or steps into a career suited to their talents, something larger than a paycheck takes hold,” says Salazar. “It is a sense of dignity, purpose, and self-determination. Freedom, in its fullest sense, is the room to become one’s greatest self, and a nation that equips its people to do exactly that grows stronger with every individual who rises.
“Our work is about making sure no one is left on the sidelines of a growing economy,” Salazar added. “This Juneteenth, I invite Americans of every background to come together, to honor how far we have come as a nation, and to recommit to an America where freedom and opportunity reach every person willing to learn, work, and contribute,” Salazar said.
by SER National | May 24, 2026 | News & Updates
AND THE AMERICANS WHOSE SACRIFICE BUILT THE NATION WE CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN
A Tribute to the Fallen and to the Enduring American Belief That Every Generation Has a Role to Play in Building a Stronger Country
IRVING, Texas — SER National joins communities across the United States and Puerto Rico in observing Memorial Day, a solemn national day of remembrance for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to the country.
“Memorial Day calls on all of us to pause and honor the Americans who gave their lives so that the rest of us could pursue ours,” said Ignacio Salazar, President and Chief Executive Officer of SER National. “The most meaningful way we can honor that sacrifice is by doing the work of building a stronger country by helping every American develop the talents they were given and by working together as one people toward a shared future,” he added.
Memorial Day dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan, then Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Order No. 11, designating May 30 as a national day to honor those who died in the Civil War. The first major observance that year took place at Arlington National Cemetery, where some 5,000 Americans gathered to decorate more than 20,000 soldiers’ graves. After the First World War, the observance was expanded to honor all American service members who had died in defense of the nation. In 1971, Congress formally established Memorial Day as a federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May.
The freedoms preserved by their sacrifice are the same freedoms that allow Americans to learn, work, build businesses, raise families, and contribute their talents to the strength of the nation. That is the inheritance every generation receives, and the inheritance every generation is asked to steward.
This Memorial Day, SER National invites every American to take a moment of reflection — to visit a national cemetery, to attend a local ceremony, to place a flag, to read the name of a fallen service member aloud — and then to recommit to the work of strengthening the country they died for. The development of the individual’s talents, the dignity of work, and the power of Americans working together remain the surest tribute we can offer..
by SER National | May 3, 2026 | News & Updates
AND THE ENDURING SPIRIT OF COURAGE, SKILL, AND SHARED PURPOSE
SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc. (SER National) joins communities across the United States in observing Cinco de Mayo, marking the anniversary of the May 5, 1862, Battle of Puebla, a moment in history when an outnumbered, under-equipped force, led by Texas-born Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, held the line against a far larger army through discipline, unity, and uncommon resolve.
“Cinco de Mayo reminds us that courage, preparation, and unity can overcome the steepest of odds,” said Ignacio Salazar, president and CEO of SER National. “At SER, we see that same spirit every day; in the worker pursuing a new credential, in the young person stepping into a first career, in the experienced professional choosing to upskill again. Our affiliates and the people they serve are proof that when Americans commit to learning, working, and lifting one another, our economy and our country grow stronger.”
More than 160 years later, the lesson of that day in Puebla endures. It is a universal story of ordinary people, working together toward a common purpose, finding strength in one another, and turning long odds into lasting inspiration. It is, in many ways, a universal American story; the story of what people can accomplish when they prepare, persevere, and stand together.
“That spirit is at the heart of SER National’s work,” states Salazar. “For more than six decades, SER has invested in the most powerful resource any nation possesses: its people. Through the SER Network of Affiliates, which spans 26 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, more than 1 million participants are served each year with education, training, employment services, and pathways to economic opportunity. The affiliates are the engine of that mission: community-rooted, locally led, and indispensable to every chapter of SER’s success,” he adds.
That achievement aligns with the most recent labor data as well. The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March 2026, the strongest monthly gain since December 2024, with the unemployment rate at 4.3 percent and the Hispanic unemployment rate at 4.8 percent. The numbers tell the story of an economy that continues to move forward; one that has weathered uneven months, absorbed shocks, and once again demonstrated the durability of American work and American workers. Behind every data point is a person, a family, and a community choosing to build, to learn, and to keep going. That is the legacy of American strength, and it is the foundation on which the next chapter will be written.
“The American economy continues to evolve, bringing new challenges and opportunities,” adds Salazar. “SER National believes the path forward is the same path the holiday celebrates in spirit: shared effort, steady resolve, and the willingness to keep learning. Workforce development, the lifelong commitment to gaining and renewing skills, remains the most reliable engine of individual advancement and national strength,” he concludes.
On this Cinco de Mayo, SER National extends its appreciation to its affiliates, partners, employers, educators, and, most of all, the participants whose determination drives the work forward. Their progress is America’s progress.
by SER National | Feb 27, 2026 | News & Updates
RECOGNIZING WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICA’S ECONOMIC STRENGTH
In observance of Women’s History Month 2026, SER National and the SER Network of Affiliates recognize the measurable and vital impact women have on the strength, resilience, and global competitiveness of the United States economy.
“Women are indispensable to the economic vitality of the United States,” said Ignacio Salazar, SER National President and CEO. “From small business ownership to corporate leadership to skilled trades, women are strengthening our labor force and driving innovation. At SER, we witness firsthand how access to training and opportunity translates into measurable economic growth.”
Women represent nearly 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, with more than 77 million women active across every major sector of the economy, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women are also leading. They own more than 12 million businesses nationwide, generating nearly $2 trillion in annual revenue. In corporate leadership, women now hold approximately one in four C-suite positions and nearly 30 percent of board seats among S&P 500 companies — the highest representation in history.
“When women gain the skills and credentials needed for today’s competitive economy, families become more secure, communities become more stable, and our nation becomes more competitive,” Salazar said. “Workforce development is one of the most powerful economic tools we have, and ensuring women have full access to that pipeline is both smart policy and sound economics.”
Through a national network serving more than 1 million program participants annually, SER National and its affiliates provide workforce development, adult education, youth employment, and career placement services that expand economic mobility for women at every stage of life. These programs support women entering the workforce, transitioning careers, reentering after time away, or launching their own businesses.
Salazar adds that investing in women’s workforce participation is not symbolic. That investment is strategic. “While progress is evident, continued collaboration across public, private, and nonprofit sectors is essential to sustain momentum,” he states. “Strengthening access to high-quality training programs, apprenticeships, digital skills, small business capital, and supportive services will ensure women can continue expanding their leadership across industries,” says Salazar.
SER National invites Americans to join in building a workforce culture rooted in performance, opportunity, and shared prosperity — one in which women’s contributions continue to power a stronger, more vibrant United States economy. For more information on SER National’s programs and services, visit www.ser-national.org.
