Upper Rio Grande @ Work Norman Haley Employment Center
A ground-breaking endeavor in workforce development
by Lauren Macias-Cervantes

A new addition to the Upper Rio Grande @ Work System is now open! The Upper Rio Grande @ Work Norman Haley Employment Center opened its doors June 4, 2007, and was officially dedicated on July 13. Located in the heart of Downtown El Paso, the center is unlike any other Upper Rio Grande @ Work has. The focus is employment services, rather than support services.

“We identified the need to have more employers using our services. We were not targeting the different businesses and Downtown customers, especially professional-level customers. They were not coming to our centers,” says Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board CEO Lorenzo Reyes. The state-of-the-art facility is also the result of a resolution passed by the El Paso City Council to open an employment resource center in the Downtown area.

The new center is 15,000 square feet and features an employment resource center, employer interviewing rooms and job fair and training conference areas. “We want to keep our people here. We want to let high-skilled individuals in the region know there are jobs; they don’t need to struggle on their own. We’ll have all the services they need available to them,” says the employment center Manager Rosa Flores.

The employment center is on the path to accomplishing that goal. Since its doors opened June 4, nearly 3,000 job seekers have been assisted, most with a high school diploma or GED and some college. Higher skilled individuals have also used the center, including 107 with associates degrees, 86 with a bachelor’s, 34 with a master’s degree and three with doctorates. The center has also held nearly a dozen hiring fairs for employers and is responsible for 186 hires so far.

Westside resident and job seeker Rene Ramirez is looking to further his career in the trucking and transportation industry, and after a few hours at the employment center, he was able to receive four job leads and speak with an employer. “I came to the Norman Haley Employment Center because it’s real convenient,” Ramirez says. “Plus, everyone here is very professional. I was able to get advice on my resume. The staff told me to make sure my resume is detailed and reflects what I can bring to an employer. I would recommend everyone to come to this center. The services are free, and the people are willing to help you with whatever you need.”

It is called the Norman Haley Employment Center, but why? Who was Norman Haley?

Norman Haley retired from the military a full colonel and started in workforce development in the 1970s. He was initially a career center counselor and worked his way up to executive director of the then Comprehensive Employment Training Act program. He went on to become the executive vice president and then executive director of the Private Industry Council, which then became Upper Rio Grande @ Work (Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board). He retired in 2001 and died in July of 2006.

Haley’s emphasis was on case management/social services. Under his leadership, the Private Industry Council was recognized as one of the best in the nation and was recognized repeatedly for performance. Haley wanted every customer, whether a job seeker or business, to be treated individually and not as a number. “Many of us who worked with him and are still in the system see Norman Haley as role model and a legacy. He always wanted to help others and make a difference in people’s lives,” says Upper Rio Grande @ Work CEO Reyes.
During the dedication and grand opening ceremony, Haley’s widow, Helen, his daughter, Peggy, and his son-in-law, Eric, were present. Recognizing their late husband and father brought tears to their eyes, and the family’s words moved those in the audience who never knew the man.

The employment center breaks new ground in workforce development and marks a first for the Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board. The efforts were recognized and congratulated by Department of Labor Regional Director Joseph Juarez and Texas Workforce Commission Director Larry Jones; both flew in specifically for the ceremony. The employment center also brings good news for taxpayers, even those not seeking a job or an employee, as it will save URGWDB $250,000 a year in operational costs.

Job seekers and employers can visit the Norman Haley Employment Center Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is located at 300 E. Main. The main entrance is on the Stanton side, and parking tickets are validated.

Upper Rio Grande @ Work serves six counties, including El Paso, through eight centers and ongoing outreach.

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