A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of a new workforce center in the former Red Bird mall aimed at bolstering workforce readiness, particularly in South Dallas.
Dallas College’s new 53,000 square-foot facility at The Shops at RedBird will train people to pursue careers in high-demand areas, such as health care assistants, forklift operators, customer care agents, accounting professionals and industrial maintenance mechanics.
The center will offer courses to support students working toward a high school equivalency as well as classes focused on English as a second language, financial literacy and job readiness.
Following Friday’s ceremony, guests toured the facility and watched technology demonstrations, including forklift and health training equipment. The building has a flexible laboratory space that can be adapted to meet specific course needs, from augmented reality to robotics and automation.
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The woman behind the vision of the center is Gloria Smith, Dallas College vice provost of workforce education, who was applauded for her efforts to serve non-traditional students by empowering them to pursue high-earning careers.
“Located in the heart of South Dallas, the center will allow us, and our partners, to provide educational opportunities that lead to high-demand jobs for a population that has been historically underserved,” Smith said.
A 2021 report from research consulting firm Cicero Group found that Dallas residents over 25, particularly in southern Dallas, lacked opportunities to learn new job skills and advance in careers.
Across Dallas County, about three in 10 adults aged 25 to 34 earn a living wage, according to Dallas Thrives, an initiative made up of various nonprofit, government entities and other partners aimed at doubling the number of young adults earning a living wage by 2040.
Dallas College Chancellor Justin Lonon celebrated the center’s opening by leading a chant.
“We are in what business?” Lonon asked.
“The barrier-busting business,” the crowd of over one hundred answered.
The new training will be “breaking down one of those barriers to bring these types of programs right here into the neighborhood where people can have access to programs that are going to get them the skills that they need to get into jobs,” Lonon said.
The center will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students will have access to success coaches and support services to help them with food, housing security, mental health, transportation and child care.
The college committed over $5 million to the project that is also supported by the city of Dallas, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Vari and Google.
The former mall continues to evolve.
In October, officials from The Shops at RedBird and the nonprofit Vogel announced they are establishing a daycare for about 130 kids with priority given to employees working at The Shops at RedBird complex along with families supported by Vogel.
