Southern California Workforce Boards Celebrate Workforce Development Month
Job seekers and businesses get access to employment and job training resources
LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of proposed major cuts to federally-funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA) employment and job training programs, the L.A. County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) is launching the first Southern California Workforce Development Month in April 2011. Joining in this inaugural effort are 15 other WIBs in the region, along with the Greater L.A. Chamber of Commerce. Together they will promote Southern California's workforce development system and One-Stop Career Centers through targeted job seeker and business events and resources. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors have been asked to proclaim April 2011 as Workforce Development Month and to urge all 88 cities in L.A. County, as well as local elected officials in all of Southern California, to join the cause.
"Workforce Development Month provides us with an opportunity to promote all of our free resources with an exceptional line-up of workshops, orientations, small business conferences, job fairs, and consultations with our network of workforce experts," said L.A. County WIB Chairman Dr. Dennis W. Neder. "Having a total of sixteen WIBs in Southern California participate in this celebration will greatly expand our reach."
The public awareness effort could not have better timing, with projections that the economy is starting to slowly recover. In the last year alone, the seven L.A. County business-led WIBs, and their 48 One-Stop Career Centers and 38 Youth Centers, served over 10,000 companies with employment and training services and employee layoff aversion assistance, 12,500 low-income youth with work experience programs, and 11,900 adults with career training in targeted high growth sectors. In spite of unemployment hovering at 9% nationally, and over 12% locally, the WIBs placed over 50% of those seeking services into jobs.
"We have an outstanding schedule of workshops and employment related events such as resume writing, mock interviews, computer skills, job club, and skills assessments, along with orientations to our workforce system, and free consultations for businesses and job seekers," said L.A. County WIB Executive Director Richard Verches. Clear Channel Radio network has agreed to promote Workforce Development Month and support the effort to increase public awareness about the employment services and training for job seekers, and the hiring, screening and training resources for businesses. In addition, the City of L.A. has just launched JobsLA.org as Los Angeles' premier employment, hiring, and careers solution website, www.jobsla.org.
For a complete schedule of the Southern California April 2011 celebration, go to www.WorkforceDevelopmentMonth.com.
SOURCE L.A. County Workforce Investment Board
Share this article