Picoso’s and Literacy Lubbock Partner to Provide Free GED Prep for Restaurant Staff

Literacy Lubbock and Picoso's Mexican Kitchen are collaborating to offer free GED preparation classes to individuals working in the restaurant industry in Lubbock.

Since March, the lessons have been held every Monday and Friday at 9 a.m. at Picoso's, located at 7611 Milwaukee Avenue. People who work in restaurants are welcome to come at the set time to start studying for the GED test.

Garrett Friemel from Picoso's said the idea came from a desire to provide for the futures of their employees and others in the same field. "Many people on our team don't have a GED, but they have goals they want to reach," Friemel said. "Getting the GED is often the first thing that leads to those goals." We want to get to more people and grow.

Picoso's offers more than just GED classes. They also provide lessons on how to manage money and a support group for those struggling with addiction. Garrett Friemel can be reached at garrettfriemelpicosos@gmail.com if you would like to learn more about these tools.

Literacy Lubbock is helping with the program. They offer English as a Second Language (ESL) lessons and other educational services. Before they begin personalized coaching, Julie Laughlin from Literacy Lubbock said that each participant will take a pre-test to identify their skills and areas for improvement. At the GED classes, some facilitators speak Spanish.

The offer is not just for restaurant employees, as their guests are also welcome to attend. Friemel said that having the classes at Picoso's gives workers a comfortable place to try new things and move toward a better future.

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