Free, fast-track GED classes are being offered by Paris Junior College’s Adult Education and Family Literacy Department to help students get their GED in as little as 10 weeks. The registration deadline is Thursday, April 3 for classes that will run Monday, April 14 through June 18, 2025. The classes are just part of the services offered by Adult Education that can lead to better jobs and higher pay.
Those services are free thanks to grant funding from the Texas Workforce Commission.
“We were awarded $702,381 in the fall to continue providing educational classes within our service area,” said PJC Adult Education Director Susan Sanchez. “We can help you with improving literacy, learning English as a Second Language (ESL), citizenship classes, computer literacy, employability skills, workforce development support classes and tuition, and case management services for internationally trained professionals and re-entry students.”
PJC also receives support from the Lamar County Literacy Council (LCLC), a United Way organization, which pays for GED vouchers, the spring GED graduation, and provides a scholarship. Sanchez also serves as the LCLC director. Last fall, the program received a vote of confidence with a donation from the Lamar County Junior Chamber of Commerce.
“All the United Way agencies gave presentations and then the junior chamber members voted on who they would donate to,” Sanchez said. “We were very pleased that they thought adult literacy was an important cause to support.”
Former student Gretel Waite took advantage of the adult education programs at PJC and was pleased with the results.
“The employability class is the course I never knew I needed,” said Waite. “They provided guidance and support from writing resumes to mock job interviews, to building self-confidence to prepare myself for employment. It truly is a career navigator.”
“Each year more than 70,000 Texans enroll in adult education programs to help increase their earning potential in the Texas workforce,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “These AEL programs are helping adult learners gain the skills they need for success.”
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those without a high school diploma average $708 weekly and have a 5.6 percent unemployment rate. This rises to $899 with 3.9 percent unemployment for a high school degree or GED. An associate’s degree brings the weekly average to $1,058 with an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent. Earnings rise and unemployment rates drop the higher the education attainment.
“Education is one of the most powerful tools to achieve career success and prosperity,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Joe Esparza. “The Texas Workforce Commission’s commitment to the education of all Texans not only strengthens our workforce system, but also Texas’ reputation as the best state for doing business.”
The fast-track courses will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Bobby R. Walters Workforce Training Center in Paris, and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the PJC-Greenville Center.
To qualify, students must be at least 17 or older, bring a current driver’s license or state ID when registering, and they must attend all classes. The classes will cover GED core exam components of language arts, science, social studies, and math. Students will also have help setting up their online GED account and get free GED practice and test vouchers.
Registration may be done in person, emailing adulted@parisjc.edu, or calling 903-782-0467 in Paris or 903-454-8703 in Greenville. PJC serves Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, Red River, and Hunt counties. Learn more at www.parisjc.edu/adult-ed.
Photo 1: Gretel Waite, a former Adult Education student who was very pleased with the services.
Photo 2: The Lamar County Junior Chamber donated to adult education in the fall. Shown from left are Avery Spencer, Rosalyn Spencer, William Flood, and Ethan Schmidt with Susan Sanchez.
