Woonsocket Radio News Room

WOONSOCKET EDUCATION CENTER AWARDED $30,000 FROM

CITIZENS TO PROMOTE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM  

Grant supports the delivery of a new business computing course for adults

 

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND (February 6, 2025) – Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner’s Woonsocket Education Center announced today that it is a recipient of a $30,000 grant from Citizens to support a new business computing course this spring for adults in northern Rhode Island.

 

Woonsocket Education Center aims to increase educational attainment by offering a range of courses that meet the needs of regional employers and community needs, which data show that 90% of new jobs require postsecondary education in the form of degrees, certifications, or industry-recognized credentials.

 

"Preparing tomorrow's workforce today is a core element of our Rhode Island 2030 strategy," said Governor Dan McKee. "Giving Rhode Islanders a competitive edge in key sectors allows our residents to achieve better-paying careers and puts themselves, their families and our state on course for long-term success. I'm grateful to Citizens for their investment in the Ocean State's future." 

 

“Employment opportunities in this field are expanding rapidly, and banking sector jobs are regarded as highly desired by the workforce,” said Shannon Gilkey, Ed.D., Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Postsecondary Education. “We’re grateful to Citizens for helping us provide support for Rhode Islanders who need education and career development training in order to qualify for these in-demand jobs.”

 

“At Citizens, we are deeply committed to helping build the workforce of the future and expanding economic opportunity for the communities we serve,” said Keith Kelly, President of Citizens Rhode Island. “Through our support of Woonsocket Education Center’s industry-informed courses we strive to help provide the tools and resources to empower local workers to achieve their professional goals and build a pipeline of skilled talent needed for local industries to thrive.”

 

Enrollment details for the new business computing course will be shared in 2025. All coursework will be held at Woonsocket Education Center. The eight-week course entitled "Business Computing Applications" will be free for participants. The purpose of the course will be to ensure that students have the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to meet employer needs. The course presents and demonstrates the applications, concepts, and skills relevant to information technology in the context of the modern business environment.

 

About Citizens

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $217.5 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn or Facebook.

About Woonsocket Education Center

Founded in 2022, the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner’s Woonsocket Education Center is a public/private collaboration designed to bring together higher education, business, industry, and community partners to provide high-quality educational programs to meet projected workforce growth in the region. For more information, visit woonsocketedcenter.org.

Two NASA astronauts have safely arrived back on Earth after a nine-month stay on the International Space Station. Suni [[ Sunny ]] Williams and Butch Wilmore had to stay far longer than planned aboard the ISS after issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. They returned home in a SpaceX capsule Tuesday afternoon, splashing down off the coast of Florida near Tallahassee.        President Trump and Russian President Putin are agreeing to begin talks on a limited ceasefire with Ukraine. The two leaders had a lengthy phone call today to discuss an end to the war. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the call as "very good and productive."        The last of the classified JFK assassination files are being made public. The National Archives released several files Tuesday at the direction of President Trump, who said Americans have been asking for this for a long time. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963.        Frontier Airlines is flying checked bags for no charge after Southwest announced the end of its more than 50-year-old free bag policy. Frontier announced the new promotion on select flights in an effort to bring in "rebound" customers moving away from Southwest. Passengers will need to book a nonstop flight from now through August 18th.        The Navajo Nation president says the federal government has assured him content about the Navajo Code Talkers will be restored to Army and Defense Department websites. At least ten articles about the elite group of Marines were recently removed under the Trump administration's campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren says he's seeking further clarity on the issue.        The first trailer for "Happy Gilmore 2" is out. The film sees Adam Sandler reprise his role as the legendary golfer while dealing with facing the younger stars on the PGA Tour. As he makes his return to the course, things take a wild a turn.       

Old News Archives