IMMOKALEE, Fla. — A growing partnership between the Collier County Sheriff's Office and the Immokalee Foundation is creating life-changing career opportunities for local students in Southwest Florida.
40 students graduated from a specialized 911 dispatcher training program - more than three times the number from when the program started in 2021.
The six-week course teaches state curriculum under the guidance of sheriff's office training supervisors. Many graduates speak multiple languages including Spanish and Creole - skills desperately needed in emergency services.
The program doesn't just teach dispatching - students also learn about various law enforcement careers through field trips and meetings with detectives and other specialists.
Click here to see Immokalee Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Immokalee Foundation graduates.
Wendy Gallegos, director of program services at the Immokalee Foundation, says the goal is to help students build sustainable careers, not just jobs.
"It's just another opportunity that we can offer our students to change the trajectory of their lives," Gallegos said.
Graduates like Dulce see the program as more than just training to take emergency calls - they're becoming a lifeline for their community.
"What honestly made me want to be in this career to help my community. I want to be able to expand opportunities for other students and tell them that there's actually more than just Immokalee," Dulce said.
Fellow graduate Bailey shares similar motivation.
"I just always wanted to do something in law enforcement and help my community," Bailey said.
Most program graduates apply directly to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, where human resources staff help guide them through the application process.
This program represents just one of several innovative initiatives from the Immokalee Foundation aimed at creating sustainable career paths for students in our Southwest Florida community.
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