CET: A center with a grand mission and purpose
By Rosario Vital
El Observador

The Center for Employment Training (CET) is celebrating 43 years of service to this community. This CET nonprofit organization has helped over 140,000 individuals become self sufficient by training each worker using a specific custom designed training program.
The dream of Father Anthony Soto and Russell Tershy. CET’s founders. of helping those in need is now an operational reality.
Their visionary philosophy of providing educational tools to make farmers and peasants self-sufficient has now functioned for 43 years.
CET celebrates more than four decades of effective uplifting training programs which are supported by many who strongly believe in these projects despite any crisis they may be facing.
Hermelinda Sapien, CET’s Chief Executive Director. has been with this organization through thick and thin. She worked from the outset in the organization. Her committed leadership has provided strength to this institution.
"I still remember in the '60s when San Jose began to take on a major transformation and transition with the arrival of "Silicon Valley" This resulted in the disappearance of orchards of the “Valley of the Heart’s Delight”, leaving farmers without jobs. Unemployment reached 30 percent when “Silicon Valley” emerged. Father Soto had a transforming vision. He said, ‘We need to prepare the unemployed farm workers for other jobs.’ That is how CET got started by offering machine shop training to these individuals,” Sapien said.
Machine shop training was the first training program offered at CET. Today, CET offers several distinct training programs to prepare individuals to be a part of today’s workforce and participate in its economy.
Today, CET offers careers in Accounting Clerk, Custodial Services, Medical Clerk, Medical Administrative Assistant, Medical Assistant, Retail Specialist, Automotive Specialist, Early Childhood Teacher, Training Medical Insurance Billing, Building Maintenance, HVAC Maint. Repairer, Building Maintenance Service Technician, HVAC Installation & Service Technician, Shipping, Receiving, and Warehouse Operations, Business Office Technology, HVAC Specialist, Truck Driver,CNC Machine Setup Operator, Machine Tool Operator, Welding Fabrication, Computer Office Occupations, and Culinary Arts.
In 2010,CET continues to “custom train” individuals in the latest technologies by offering courses in “green jobs”. During this decade, CET has trained 80 students how to install solar panels.
“We know that the “green industry” is growing, and we want to train individuals to have competence in the latest technologies,” Sapien said.
“Being a part of this “green jobs” field has made me more interested in green technology which underlies the installation of solar panels,” said Edgar Lopez, a student enrolled in the CET’s “green” program.
Mario Michel, another student in CET’s “green” program, also feels that the center is preparing him very well for his future.
“There are a few houses in San Jose with solar panels, but sometime soon many will embrace this new technology. I plan to be ready to respond to this demand and opportunity,” Michel said.
Although the current state of our economy has affected many, CET continues to train individuals in fields that CET’s management feels will have employment opportunities available, such as the culinary industry which cannot be outsourced..
“There will always be restaurants so there will always be a need for this service industry. CET also offers catering services, where the students get a chance to demonstrate what they have learned to plan and manage,” Sapien said. “We offer our Culinary Arts catering services for all sorts of events such as Quinceañeras, weddings, baptisms, and other occasions. All of these servcies are done to help those who are struggling in these challenging economic times by teaching them what a culinary career offers them.” “The funds that we obtain go towards sustaining and improving the school’s equipment and sponsoring the center’s culinary team,” said Juan Yañez, executive chef of the center’s Culinary Arts Program. If you would like to have the center’s culinary students participate in your next event call (408) 534-5267.
Thanks to a stimulus award of $3 million, CET has been able to obtain employment for many of the center’s trainees. If we take a journey through time, we can see how CET has grown and significantly adapted. Today there are 18 centers throughout the country. In addition to San Jose, CET centers in California are located in Sacramento, Gilroy, Soledad, Watsonville, Salinas, Hayward, Santa María, Oxnard, San Bernardino, Coachella, Temecula, Fallbrook, and San Diego.

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