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Mission

The Language Acquisition Research Foundation mission is to integrate with the community via Registered Apprenticeship Programs, following U.S. Department of Labor Standards & CompTIA Training & Certification pathways into those programs for our apprentices. We seek to empower young students, high school graduates, community members, and businesses, by providing the Related Technical Instruction portion of our training to our Employer Partners and offering IT Consultation and Remediation Services to local businesses while employing our apprentices. Additionally, we will foster language proficiency to enhance communication and critical thinking skills that will equip individuals with the knowledge necessary to thrive in an increasingly competitive and diverse world market.

Vision

The Language Acquisition Research Foundation's vision is to witness and participate in a community that actively negates the barriers of language for all people and the barriers of entry to well-paid technical career paths for our youth and displaced workers. By providing local employers with custom-trained employees to fill the lack of qualified individuals, we aim to retain our local talent.  Furthermore, to witness the increased support and stabilization of apprenticeships throughout the workforce and economic development process, to build a self-sustaining citizenry, now and into the future.

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Our Training Program

     The Language Acquisition Research Foundation believes that Traditional Information Technology training has had a negative impact on people’s lives and our community. For years, students have undertaken huge financial burdens to train in IT programs with varying degrees of “success.” Most programs cost between $30-40k and place students under the burdens of Title IV Funding, or “Financial Aid.” Many institutions offer certificate or degree programs and only offer Certification as a bonus. This is where we stand apart from traditional for-profit institutions offering IT training.

     We, here at the LARF Technology Center, know for a FACT that YOU DO NOT NEED A DEGREE TO BEGIN A CAREER IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY! Certifications are more important to Employers than a “degree” without certification. Certification PROVES a job-seeker can perform essential job functions required by all IT professionals. We provide training for the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ Certification which is Good For Life! More importantly, they prepare an individual for the professional certifications such as A+, Network+ & Security+!

     Our IT Fundamentals training program is 16 weeks long, Monday through Thursday, 1 ½ hours of lecture per day. We provide instruction in a hybrid on-site / distance learning environment, about 8 weeks on-site and 8 weeks remotely. Each day after class, our Instructors are available to answer any questions or go over any material a student may need during their Instructor Hour. We utilize CertMaster training as our main curriculum but supplement it with SEVERAL COMPTIA OFFICIAL TRAINING PRODUCTS. There are several custom hands-on labs to give students the needed experience to succeed in their certification efforts. Students receive 2 vouchers for the CompTIA exam, which they will sit for during the last week. If they fail to certify, we will examine their results and tailor a specific study regimen to retake the exam. 

     We also believe that the Borderland is a unique landscape that can revolutionize the way that we handle tech talent. Too many individuals that DO graduate/certify from Traditional IT training institutions move away from El Paso because the pay is better. This is where our goals for the community lie. We are garnering partnerships with employers to begin APPRENTICESHIPS for A+/Network+/Security+ to keep our tech talent in El Paso! We have registered 3 programs with the US Department of Labor: Computer Support Specialist, Network Support Specialist & Cyber Security Support Technician. Apprentices will receive training from us while earning money and getting On-The-Job-Training directly from their employer. Apprenticeship will not be offered to individuals who do not possess certifications, so the easiest way into this exciting program is to train with us!

     Lastly, we are sympathetic to individuals who received prior Traditional IT training and for whatever reason, did not certify or graduate. These programs were designed to only collect funding via Financial Aid and often skipped material, overloaded students with too much material, or presented the needed information at break-neck speed. Also, the quality of training materials was often bundled by publishers, whom these institutions had financial incentives to only offer their products, because of medical, business & law enforcement programs also offered by the institution. Due to this, we offer Scholarships to not only these individuals, but ANYONE THAT CAN ENRICH THEIR LIVES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATION!

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We CARE!

Our core values are: Compassion, Humbleness, Empathy, Responsibility & Respect

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