A new WorkSource Center (WSC) was formally opened in Sylmar on Monday, Oct. 7, at Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) that will connect students and the broader community to resources that can lead to meaningful employment.
Located on the first floor of the Campus Center building, the WSC is a collaboration between LAMC, Goodwill Southern California, the city of Los Angeles and the Office of Councilmember Monica Rodriguez.
The center is open to anyone in the community, and the services and resources it provides are free of charge. These services include resume writing workshops, paid training opportunities, screening potential employees for businesses and helping people who were incarcerated find work.
“It will be a place where career development meets actual job search tools, where resume building meets networking and where individuals from all walks of can find the support they need to succeed,” said Laura Cantú, LAMC vice president of Academic Affairs. “I believe in the power of connection, and this truly is a moment where education and employment will bring together … true opportunities for the individuals of the Northeast San Fernando Valley.”
The opening of the center was attended by Rodriguez; Armida Ornelas, LAMC president; Steven Veres, LA Community College District (LACCD) trustee; Patrick McClenahan, Goodwill Southern California president and CEO; and Joseph Taylor, regional impact officer for Goodwill Southern California.
The WSC at the college has been in the works for about a year. With the alignment of all these partnerships coming together, Ornelas said the WSC can be a one-stop center for people to not only to find employment but also on the path towards a career.
“The community needs us to come together, leverage our resources, become aligned and deliver,” Ornelas said. “Several of our faculty … have been so proactive in creating short-term job certificates so that we can train our community in relevant employment work with our partners.”
While this one-stop center lies at the heart of LAMC, Veres assured that this is not a resource reserved solely for students and that no one from the community should feel hesitant to stop in. He added that if someone is looking to find a career that may require more learning – nursing, for example – they can enroll in classes at the college to get started on that path.
Goodwill will operate the center and is responsible for the intake of people coming in and facilitating training, opportunities and dispensing information. McClenahan pointed out that the organization operates more than just thrift stores – it also runs work source and youth source centers to give people the chance to obtain job experience and find employment opportunities.
McClenahan said the partnerships to build the WSC “was identified as a great opportunity because the need is great, and Los Angeles Mission College placing it right in the center of the college campus says a lot about the importance of it – 14,000 square feet dedicated to helping people change their lives through getting employment.”
One of those people who has had their life changed through a Goodwill center is Armin Golshan. The 25 year old has been in and out of the criminal justice system since he was 14. While he was on probation, he was referred to a Goodwill center. Wanting to better his life, Golshan took the opportunity.
Through some tests to see what he was interested in, Golshan felt that he wanted to be a barber. The center not only got him enrolled at West Valley Occupational Center to pursue his career, but it also helped pay for his transportation expenses, school supplies and tuition.
After about nine months in the center’s cosmetology program, his hard work paid off and he’s been working at Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Northridge for the past six months.
“For once in my life, I feel like I have control,” Golshan said. “I’m doing everything correctly. “I have a cool car, a good place to live. I’m able to take care of my two sons and my wife properly. Just being able to hold my head high in the community is all I [could] ask for.
“It’s tough being someone like me. I’m sure there’s plenty of people that have gone or are going through the same thing,” Golshan continued. “In order to actually succeed, you’re going to have to find a career path where you can either be employed by a bigger company or employ yourself. I feel like that’s the quickest path to success, and [the WSC] is exactly where to go.”
For more information about WSCs in the San Fernando Valley and how to contact them, go to: https://ewdd.lacity.gov/index.php/employment-services/worksource-centers.
The LAMC campus is located at 13356 Eldridge Ave. in Sylmar.