Hispanic Orchard Employee Education Program Giving Back To North Central Washington

Now in its 25^th year, the Hispanic Orchard Employee Education Program at Wenatchee Valley College aims to help workers promote and improve themselves.  Director of WVC’s Department of Ag Bob Gillespie says the program helps orchard workers of Hispanic origin take needed college credits.

“That would help them understand the kind of work they were doing in the orchard, help them a little bit with English, and math,  and also management skills and a lot of these students who them would take these classes and then they would go back and pick up managing positions.”

Gillespie said they've enjoyed success with HOEEP for several decades.

"We have other people who are working with Stemilt for McDougal that have started out working in the orchard and now are managing multiple orchards or managing their own orchards so, it’s been a successful program in that sense.”

Classes through the Hispanic Orchard Employee Education Program run November through April 1^st.  To learn more about the HOEEP, visit WVC's Website.

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