by Ileana Martinez | Dec 30, 2022 | News & Updates
Ignacio Salazar, SER National President and Chief Executive Officer, issued the following statement closing out 2022 with landmark accomplishments and the sights set on 2023.
“On behalf of SER National and the SER Network of Affiliates, we salute the more than 1 million program participants we have reached and served this year. They entered our doors in more than 200 locations across the country and Puerto Rico with high hopes and expectations to uplift and transform their lives. I proudly announce that we met their needs through our numerous training, education, and assistance services.
The reports show that our program graduates are more robust, better equipped, and eager to progress or return to our nation’s workforce to sustain themselves and their families. From the country’s eastern shores to the Pacific and La Isla del Encanto, we have witnessed the most incredible reward people can experience. Their dignity and self-confidence soared when they received their certificate, diploma, or license and the recognition they earned from family, friends, and employers. This experience was priceless.
Our work touched and changed lives from major urban centers to rural pueblos. These include a second-generation farmworker who became a commercial truck driver, a single mother of three children who started her salon and spa business, and a senior who went to work as a part-time security guard at a high-rise office building. His work ethic impressed tenants, among them the Walt Disney Company, and he was invited to join the family of Mickey and Minnie Mouse as a full-time employee! These are just three of the victories of SER participants. We see many more like these each day, too numerous to list all of them.
SER National and the SER Network of Affiliates will continue in 2023 to remain focused on the mission of service within America’s local communities. We pledge to keep venturing out into neighborhood centers, churches, and civic associations to share our passion for reaching the historically underserved. Count on us to be on watch with our one-on-one attentiveness and caring for every individual we meet. These principles have stood us apart for 58 years, and with God’s blessing, we will prevail with servant hearts even in the face of challenging times. May 2023 bring peace and prosperity to you, and may God continue to bless this great nation we call our home.”
by Ileana Martinez | Dec 23, 2022 | News & Updates
Nation’s Service-Employment-Redevelopment Network Invites All Its Program Participants, Sponsors, and Network of Affiliates to Pause for Peace and Goodwill
SER National shared the following holiday message as millions of people begin to gather to celebrate the season with family and friends.
“SER National respects that this is the time of year when we each observe the profound beauty of our individual faith and freedoms,” said Ignacio Salazar, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Yet, in our hurried modern lives, pausing to gift ourselves the time to reflect is challenging. Indeed, the virtue theology scholars say Americans seek most and often have least is time for gratitude. There are greater and more meaningful truths worthy of our time this holiday season. Among them are our individual God-given talents and how we can share these with others,” says Salazar.
Across the United States, trends show distinct regional differences in aptitudes and skill sets. For 58 years, SER National and its SER Network of Affiliates have celebrated the diversity of America’s workforce and tailored its programs to meet participants where they are. Interestingly, new data detailed within the 2022 Global Skills Report is emerging that affirms the SER model. For example, training programs on an online platform with 100 million users found that participants along the Pacific Coast, the Northeast, or the Upper Midwest score higher in business skills. Yet, the perfect scores in mobile development technology skills were by Mountain region learners.
“Today, America invites all persons to partake in the opportunity of self-improvement through education, not simply a privileged few,” says Salazar. So, while some metrics may show other countries leading in digital performance, supply chain systems, or mobile development, the USA is the one place on earth where we each contribute to the larger whole without losing our individuality or the rewards of our personal striving. This is the beauty of our remarkable experiment called democracy, now enduring nearly 250 years. I am honored to lead a dedicated team that is part of the larger SER family devoted to the power of life-changing transformation through training and workforce development. This is our greatest gift to share this holiday season, and we are blessed to do so with the full knowledge of our faith that our most significant rewards are still ahead,” says Salazar.
by Ileana Martinez | Dec 1, 2022 | News & Updates
Nation’s Service-Employment-Redevelopment Network Introduces Sleek, Forward-Moving Logo That Symbolizes Organization’s Path Into a New Era
Ignacio Salazar, SER National President and Chief Executive Officer, announced a branding campaign that promises to catapult the organization’s transformation into the next five years and beyond as part of a new phase in its 58-year history.
“SER National is extremely proud to present a new branding feel and look that captures our journey into tomorrow with an exciting visually moving symbol of three parallel bars and our iconic SER name above them projecting a powerful, unified message through the genius of their simplicity,” says Salazar. “This design resulted from significant, diverse input from many stakeholders, including staff, board members, and sponsors who shared their vision for the future of SER National and our vast SER Network of Affiliates. Out of this very deliberate process, and with the guidance of the nationally renowned ISP Creative design team, evolved a concept that acknowledges our origins, the growth of SER, blazing our path in the decades since then, and point to the unlimited potential ahead. Best of all, the unveiling of our new branding coincides with the completion of an ambitious 5-year strategic plan,” says Salazar.
ISP Creative’s first goal was to create a symbol for SER National that would be instantly recognizable. “Our minds can capture visual messages an amazing 60,000 times faster than even words,” says Dan Craig, ISP Creative Director. “The sole purpose of a logo is to establish recognition for an organization; one image so readily identifiable with your team becomes as unique as your face or signature to those who know you and other individuals you meet. The other benefit of a new branding symbol is that it says SER National is moving forward, as is the vital role of the SER Network of Affiliates throughout the nation and in Puerto Rico. Plus, a successful logo can be used cross-functionally on all platforms and still carry the same impact. Achieve these objectives, and a symbol takes on a life of its own that reinforces the strength of SER National,” adds Craig.
Salazar says the re-branding will be used throughout all programs, emphasizing their unique but coordinated relationship within the SER family. “I am especially excited about how we are using a new color palette that speaks to our cultural diversity and celebrates that multi-community focus of our programs,” says Salazar. “In the coming days, weeks, and months, we look forward to sharing even deeper reasoning that led to the creation of this new visual identity. We invite our longtime friends and new visitors to visit our website and tour how all this ties together. The future at SER National is now!” says Salazar.
by Ileana Martinez | Sep 14, 2022 | News & Updates
Nation’s Service-Employment-Redevelopment Network Says September 15 to October 15 Observance Offers a Portal Into The Contributions 62-Million US Latinos Are Making Daily
Hispanic Heritage Month begins this week. For the next four weeks, various events and festivities highlighting Hispanic culture, business, and issues are planned throughout the United States. The annual month-long tribute to all-things Latino is the single largest Hispanic cultural event in the country. The idea first became a week-long happening started by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. Twenty years later, President Ronald Reagan expanded the observance to an entire month by passing a law enacted on August 17, 1988.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is an essential opportunity for all Americans to explore and discover the many positive ways Latino men and women are adding to the vibrancy and character of our nation, and with good reason,” says Ignacio Salazar, SER National President & Chief Executive Officer. “Today, one in five persons in the United States is Latino, with a growth rate of 23% since 2010. As importantly, we are becoming a significant part of the fabric of every community where we live. This assimilation includes strides in speaking English at 72% to advance in their jobs or business. At the same time, many immigrants still honor the tradition of speaking Spanish at home among family and friends. Also, four out of every five Latinos in the United States are US citizens, with roots going back four or five generations. We’re veterans, teachers, business owners, professionals, creatives, and so much more. We are the very image of America today,” adds Salazar.
Hispanics are contributing a significant and increasingly larger portion to the US economy’s total strength. This is because, as the single largest demographic, 25-and-under, Latinos now represent a combined spending power of $1.5 trillion annually. Plus, Hispanics pay nearly $400 billion in taxes yearly, representing the most significant single payors as a percentage of income. Their most considerable single tax contribution is to the US Social Security system, where Hispanics account for more than $210 billion annually, a critical boost to the program’s longevity. All these economic indicators for Hispanics are trending upward as more Latinos increase their education. Nearly 15% of Hispanics now have a college degree. Notably, almost 3 million Hispanics are small business owners, more than a third more likely to be entrepreneurs than the entire US population.
“From Hollywood’s box office to the ballot box at our neighborhood polling place, our presence is also being felt,” says Salazar. “Out of 252 films and streaming services studied, a large percentage of revenue came from communities of color, especially Latinos, for six of the top 10 grossing films. Similar trends are being seen in Hispanic voting power, where this year, a milestone of 35 million or greater Latinos will be eligible to vote. Indeed, this is an exciting time to be an American and see the future take shape right before our eyes of a more diverse, stronger nation working together,” says Salazar.
by Ileana Martinez | Sep 8, 2022 | News & Updates
Nation’s Service-Employment-Redevelopment Network Pauses to Remember and Celebrate the Lives of the 2,977 Victims Lost at Three Sites On That Fateful Day
SER National is paying its respects to the men and women who perished in the terrorist attacks on our nation on September 11, 2001. America was struck at the World Trade Center in New York City, and at the Pentagon in Washington, DC in two separate acts of violence where passenger jets were used as missiles by hijackers. The third site where American lives were lost is located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, near Shanksville where United Airlines flight 93 crashed as passengers attempted to retake control of their plane from members of the same Al Qaeda cell.
“We still mourn the nearly 3,000 mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters whose lives were taken in the single worst attack by an enemy on American soil,” says Ignacio Salazar, SER National President & Chief Executive Officer. “Today, more than two decades later, we can still remember vividly the images of destruction and chaos in our nation’s largest city, the charred scene at the heart of our country’s military leadership complex, and the scarred earth ripped open by a plane that was brought down when brave Americans fought back courageously,” adds Salazar.
Yet, as painful as 9/11 was and shall always be seared into our very souls, our nation is comforted by the outpouring of love and support that continues to be shown for the survivors and families of those men and women who died. Also, the children of 9/11 who are now grown speak with bittersweet pride of their first responder loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice as they rushed back into harm’s way in the twin towers. And yes, there are those who suffered in the arduous aftermath of 9/11 recovery for whom medical care and assistance came too late and we have learned much about how to do better. Indeed, our lives changed on that day, and all of us have been touched in one way or another.
“On this 21st anniversary of that tragic day, Americans can recommit to the principles of unity and resolve that we witnessed in the days following the attack. While the economic losses of 9/11 are known in places like New York City, the greater toll America suffered was the fear and distrust of the ‘other’ the attacks engendered. This is where each of us can have a role in our daily lives. We can and must reach within to our better selves and seek the common ground of shared understanding and purpose. Goodwill need not wear a label, nor our neighbor be seen through a lens defined by politics, gender, color or faith. This is the true strength of America; that out of the ashes of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or the soil of Pennsylvania, our collective spirit emerged, lifted, hopeful, enduring. May this continue to be the triumph born out of tragedy. We owe it to those we lost, and we owe it to those who will follow us. America’s greatness cannot be vanquished.”
by Ileana Martinez | Sep 2, 2022 | News & Updates
Nation’s Service-Employment-Redevelopment Network Points to Trends In Healthcare, Technology, and Sustainable Sectors As Being Among the Strongest in America’s Future
SER National is observing Labor Day 2022 as America is experiencing one of the most significant increases in job openings in recent years, pointing to the growing demand for employment-ready men and women, especially in three areas dealing with quality of life in the United States.
“This Labor Day is a time of celebration and optimism across our country,” says Ignacio Salazar, SER National President & Chief Executive Officer. “The demand for a trained workforce to fill more than 11.2 million jobs is a positive sign of a healthy economy showing no signs of letting up. Also, this historic level of job opportunities compels us at SER National and the SER Network of Affiliates to do everything we can daily and add even greater numbers of trained, skilled individuals into the pipeline. Human capital is at a premium right now, which is a challenge we have undertaken to help solve. We are especially excited to see the opportunities in areas that address our health care needs, as well as leveraging technology advances and training for eco-sustainable and eco-regeneration positions,” adds Salazar.
According to the Department of Labor Statistics, there are 5.67 million workers in the nation’s job-seeking pool, about half the number needed to meet current demand. Also adding to the tight job candidate situation is the rate of job switching, which stands at 2.7 percent, still considered high within the historical context. Officials explain the reason for job changing trend is that workers who switch jobs more often realize income gains averaging 6.7%, while those who stay longer in their current jobs see only a 4.9% hike. Another noteworthy trend this Labor Day is the outlook for the fastest-growing careers. These are wind-power generation technicians, nurse practitioners, especially in geriatrics, statisticians, plus network security personnel.
“As Americans, we can be proud on this Labor Day that we live in a country that offers an abundance of choices in career paths, including certificated positions, specialized trades, and professions that reward those with advanced degrees,” says Salazar. “Every generation aspires to mentor the next and hopes those who follow will raise the bar higher, advance farther, dream, and do greater. This ideal is the spirit of Labor Day, that our work is a blessing, and our purpose is not simply to do for ourselves but for others, including family, community, and our nation. The often-repeated refrain of the late President John F. Kennedy, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country, has never been a more appropriate call to action. Let us encourage one another to get back to work to answer our nation’s needs. This Labor Day, may we each champion our resolve as a country to achieve our greatest potential in unity and goodwill for the common good.”
