The City of Little Rock Community Programs Department announced Thursday that registration is now open for its first Career Empowerment Opportunity (CEO) course. The training will be held weekly at West Central Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday starting Monday (March 4).

The program schedule will be as follows:

• Week 1 – Career Crash Course
• Week 2 – Customer Service
• Weeks 3 & 4 – Hospitality Certification Training

“We want to help residents become the CEO of their success,” said Community Programs Department Director Dana Dossett. “This is one component of an overarching program strategy that when followed, can realistically move a person from unemployment to enjoying a career and becoming a homeowner (and thus, a proud law-abiding, tax-paying citizen) within 12 to 24 months.”

To participate in the program, applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Provide proof of Little Rock residency
• Bring photo ID and Social Security Card

To register, contact Starla Frazier, Community Engagement Specialist, at 501-371-4791 or sfrazier@littlerock.gov. Residents returning from incarceration should contact Dwight Pridgeon, ReEntry Coordinator, at 501-371-4476 or dpridgeon@littlerock.gov.

Hiring managers in the hospitality and customer service industries are also invited to attend the program opening to recruit these soon-to-be-certified professionals.