Walmart Foundation awards grant to prompt Latino jobs

Washington, D.C. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the country’s largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, said Tuesday it has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to invest in job-training programs designed to prep Latino workers for careers in the retail and green jobs sectors.

Specifically, the Walmart grant will facilitate NCLR’s Careers in Customer Service and Retail Initiative and Green Jobs Initiative. Both programs provide industry-specific training and career readiness that are responsive to the needs of Latinos and other underserved communities.

“High unemployment rates among Latinos has made it crucial for NCLR and its partners to create sustainable programs and models that enable Latino workers to gain a stronger foothold in the workforce and the economy,” said Janet Murguia, NCLR president and CEO. “This grant will enable NCLR to engage its community-based Affiliates in putting Latino families back to work.”