Announcement
Students at the DMV waiting to take a first try at the permit test (in English!)
Finding a job is the first order of business for most adults arriving in San Diego as refugees, but sometimes finding a way to get to work can be even more challenging than finding the job itself. Having just arrived in the country, refugee job seekers often do not yet have a California driver's license or a personal vehicle. The IRC's Vocational ESL classes include training on public transportation, including field trips where students take the trolley and the bus to get firsthand experience learning how to read schedules and check routes. But bus routes don't always go where the jobs are, and it is not uncommon for individuals to spend hours per day getting to and from work on the bus, or even having to turn down job opportunities because there is no public transit option to get them there.
Honorine and four others so far have successfully obtained driver's permits
To help address these challenges, and in response to requests from our clients, the IRC in San Diego recently began holding driver's permit workshops to help individuals prepare to take the California Driver's Permit test. Students studied the California Driver Handbook, learning the rules of the road, types of signs and their meanings and what the test will be like. Thanks to the support of our community, the IRC is able to provide financial assistance for DMV fees and behind-the-wheel training, as needed.
So far four of the participants in the workshop have successfully obtained their permits, and have also enrolled in the IRC's Individual Development Account program, which will match their savings up to $4,000 to help them purchase an asset - like a car!