Thirty-two Lompoc adults recently completed a new Computer Basics training course offered by Partners in Education, a nonprofit organization administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

Lompoc adult students cheer in classroom and show off their certificates of completion of computer skills course. (Courtesy photo)
Free tech skills courses in English and Spanish coming in August to Carpinteria. (Courtesy photo)

Partners in Education works to empower students and families through business, school, and community collaboration.

Following the free, six-week course, available in English and Spanish, participants showed significant improvement in their computer skills, covering such areas as: basic computer terminology; how to search the internet for jobs and resources; email best practices; operating Chromebooks; accessing Google Drive documents; and participating in video calls, the County Education Office reports.

Upon completion of the course, each participant received a free Chromebook.

The course was supported by the Lompoc Unified School District, including its Adult School and Career Center.

Participants aimed to gain new skills to better support their families, improve their learning opportunities, and enhance their qualifications to access new or higher-paying job opportunities.

Key outcomes were:
• 70% of attendees plan to use their new skills for educational purposes.
• 62% expect to use this knowledge to secure a new or better job.
• 62% will use these skills to assist their children with educational needs.

“We know that when students receive support from parents and guardians, their academic outcomes significantly improve,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido.

“By providing adults with training on the technology that our students use for schoolwork, we are not only empowering families but also boosting the likelihood of student success both in school and beyond,” she said.

“I congratulate the course participants, and also the Partners in Education team, whose commitment to bridging the digital divide is truly commendable,” she said.

Of the attendees, 99% agreed they would recommend the class to a friend and found it a valuable use of their time.

“I would gladly have taken this class with or without a Chromebook,” said one participant. “The experience alone was worth every ounce of knowledge gained.”

“I had a great experience taking this course and will use these skills a lot now that I am more confident using Google,” said another.

Partners in Education will host the next free Computer Basics class starting Aug. 12 at the Carpinteria Community Library. The six-week course will be held every Monday and Wednesday evening, with English classes from 4-6 p.m. and Spanish classes, 6-8 p.m.

To register, contact Alondra Rodriguez at 805-964-4710 ext. 4401, call or text 805-724-0447, or email partners@sbceo.org.

Free training sessions will also be held in Guadalupe and Cuyama in the coming months. To receive updates, call 805-964-4710 ext. 4401, call or text 805-724-0447, or email partners@sbceo.org.