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COMMUNITY: COMMUNITY PARTNERS "Many of them felt marginalized," Barbosa said. "They were trying to do all the right things to get ahead, but they were facing language, educational and financial barriers that were holding them back." While the Spanish American Civic Association had offered educational services to members of the Hispanic community for years, Tec Centro took those services to a new level. "Now, we're able to be full service," said Barbosa. "We can meet our students where they are, and make sure they have the education and language skills they need to be successful at training for and finding work. "We get a lot of support, and that enables us to serve our community," Barbosa said. "Most of the people who come here really want to work. They want the American dream, and they'll do whatever they need to do to make that happen." LT Language can be a huge barrier in looking for, finding and keeping a job, and many of Tec Centro's clients need support. "We discovered that there was a gap in the workforce system," Barbosa said. "People were learning English, but when they would go to job interview or to find some training, they were told their language skills weren't good enough." As a result, job opportunities were very limited for many Hispanics, who felt powerless and frustrated. 46 | LANCASTERTHRIVING! | Summer/Fall2017 BY SUSAN SHELLY, Writer, Hoffmann Publishing Contact Susan at Susan@Hoffpubs.com