Welcome to the 14th edition of

"In-the-Know with SELACO"



January 2024

A message from the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB), Executive Director, Yolanda Castro



Happy New Year Stakeholders, Partners and SELACO WDB friends! I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits celebrating the close of 2023, enjoying time with family and friends at Christmas and during New Year celebrations. It was an amazing year, and it is with great gratitude, on behalf of the SELACO WDB Team, I thank you for your unwavering support in 2023. Your support and commitment have been the cornerstone of our success at the SELACO WDB.



2023 marked a significant milestone as SELACO WDB celebrated 40-years of dedicated service to our local job seekers and businesses. Your consistent partnership has been instrumental in helping us achieve our workforce objectives and milestones over the last 40 years.

Reflecting on 2023 here are a few highlights to celebrate:

·     Our America's Job Center forged connections with over 6,000 local job seekers resulting in 4,000 direct engagements with our employment and business services team.

·     Collaborations with local cities, partners and chambers supported three regional jobs fairs drawing over 1,000 job seekers and approximately 200 employers ready to hire.

·     I am particularly thrilled about the launch of the SELACO WDB "Boots On-the-Ground" Initiative. Placing staff in strategic locations within our eight-city region has been invaluable in reaching out directly to community residents seeking job training and placement assistance. This initiative has not only connected us with our residents but also served as a platform to educate them about the diverse resources and services available to assist them in reaching their career goals.

·     Our partnerships have continued to flourish especially through collaboration with our System Management Team (SMT) and Community Collaborative Network (CCN). Together, we are successfully leveraging our resources to address local employment and training needs.

·     The collaboration with Cerritos Community College and Downey Adult School was fruitful for graduating skilled workers in critical sectors such as logistics, transportation, and healthcare. Notably our partnership with SouthBay Workforce Board and Health Impact resulted in an apprenticeship program that moved registered nurses into the specialty field of Ambulatory Care and graduated new Certified Nursing Assistance/Phlebotomist.

·     We added three new organizations as on-site partners committed to addressing the needs of Veterans. We are proud to have Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN), the Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT) and Salvation Army Veterans Services on site supporting our veterans and their families. 

·     Our Employment and Training Panel Program (ETP) secured an additional $750,000 to assist local businesses address their training needs and upskill their existing workforce.

·     We continue to provide space to Cerritos Community College to offer GED Preparation Classes in Spanish.

·     SELACO WDB's Program Operations team secured $267,155 in funding from the Regional Equity and Recovery Partnership. In partnership with Cerritos Community College, SELACO WDB will train 31 residents in one of two sectors, Hospitality or Transportation. The specialty fields of training are culinary arts or logistics.

·     The SELACO WDB Business and Career Services Team secured a third round of funding to support the Home2Employment Program (H2E) designed to support individuals facing homelessness. Funded by the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, SELACO WDB secured $185,706 in funding to support 50 individuals with training and job placement activities.

·     I am honored to have been elected as the first Vice Chair of the California Association of Workforce Boards, a role that allows me to educate local and state representatives on the success of workforce programs throughout California.

·     I’m also looking forward to my role as a newly selected member of the Cerritos College Foundation Board.

·     In 2023, we added 8 new members to our SELACO WDB team! Keep a look out for future newsletter highlighting each of these individuals excited to support workforce needs in our community.

As we move forward into 2024, our focus remains steadfast on growth and opportunities that strengthen our community outreach. The SELACO WDB team is working on initiating Sector Strategies in Technology with a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security and crafting our first apprenticeship program. Additionally, stakeholder meetings to shape our local and regional plans for submission in 2025, enhancing business engagement for skills training and fostering an inclusive and diverse system are on our 2024 agenda.

What we have accomplished and will accomplish in the coming years is a testament to our collaborative efforts and the power of partnership. I look forward to continuing this journey with you, seeking opportunities to serve our community of job seekers and businesses, and celebrating the fruits of our collective endeavors.



Looking forward to walking alongside you in 2024!

Warm regards,

Yolanda L. Castro

Executive Director

ARE YOU A STAFF PERSON OR MANAGER IN A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY? 

If so, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to attend a free webinar presented by Larry Robbin on January 18^th. A private sector client of Larry's is sponsoring the webinar as a free community service for people working in workforce development in Los Angeles County. The webinar is titled, You Can be a Change Agent! How to Increase Employment Motivation in the Hard-to-Employ! This webinar will be helpful to all staff and management of Los Angeles County workforce programs regardless of your job title, type of program or the population you serve. If you want to increase the employment motivation of the job seekers in your program, do not miss this webinar!

The webinar is coordinated by the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB). Special thanks to Corina Coronel, Deputy Director of Program Operations and to Anna Isabelo, Compliance Coordinator of the SELACO WDB Administration Team for your support. Sign in is at 10:20 a.m. The webinar is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. While the webinar is free, registration is required to reserve a spot. Space is limited.

For a description of the webinar, and details on how to register for the webinar go to 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-increase-employment-motivation-in-the-hard-to-employ-tickets-747429169767?aff=odsjldbosharelinkedin

For questions about the webinar please email selaco@selaco.com.

For information about Larry Robbin webinars go to http://www.larryrobbin.com.

On Tuesday, December 18, the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) Policy Board meeting took place at its usual time, at 12 noon. Everything was business as usual until the board members asked Yolanda Castro, SELACO WDB Executive Director, to take a group photo to commemorate the end of the year. As the group entered the Community Room to find a suitable spot for the photo, they were greeted by a festively decorated room and applauding staff members. Yolanda Castro was taken by surprise to find herself surrounded by cheers and smiling faces. Each city member presented her with a certificate of recognition for her 30 years of serving our local cities and her fearless leadership at SELACO WDB. A round of sparkling grape juice and a beautiful cake was shared to congratulate her on this professional milestone.

The Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) participated in the International ShakeOut Day on October 19, 2023. The Great ShakeOut Drill is an annual drill practiced worldwide and is intended to educate and prepare us so we are ready to react quickly and apply safety procedures in the event of a real earthquake.

The SELACO WDB Safety Committee alerted staff, partners, and job seekers at 10:19 a.m. that an earthquake drill was taking place and prompted everyone to “DROP, LOCK, COVER, and HOLD.” Once the Committee ensured that all participants abided by the alert, all were instructed to evacuate the building to the designated “safe zone.” At that time, each department had a roll call. The drill concluded with the Committee expressing their appreciation for everyone’s participation.

The day gave the Committee a chance to review the accuracy of their emergency process.

The Great Shakeout Drill is an essential exercise to practice because California is high-risk and prone to earthquakes. We are pleased to share that the SELACO staff are ready. Staff was prepared for the earthquake that shook California on January 5th!

Several years ago, several Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Board (SELACO WDB) staff volunteered their time to create what is known today as SELACO Cares. SELACO Cares is designed to collect donations during the holiday season to support participants enrolled at the SELACO WDB American Job Center or partner organizations.

This year, SELACO Cares participated in the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce Annual Holiday Drive benefitting the ABC Unified School District Community Resource Center serving low income district students and families in need. SELACO Cares volunteers collected toys, clothing, and hygiene products that were gifted to students and their families.

In past years, SELACO Cares has made toiletry baskets for Little House which is a women’s sober living home in the City of Bellflower, provided toys for the children at Olive Crest which provides services for child adoption and fostering also located in Bellflower, participated in holiday toy drives benefitting residents within the SELACO WDB local service area, and provided Thanksgiving meal baskets for SELACO WDB’s in-house customers. These are just a few of the activities that SELACO Cares has participated in through the years.



Pictured from left to right: SELACO WDB Customer Service Representative II, Martha Valle and Fiscal Administrator / Monitor, Meredith Alvarez assisted with the donation pick up.

Fall 2023 - The Regional Job Fair took place in the City of Downey at Apollo Park with over 600 plus job seekers and over 115 employers in attendance. A variety of industry sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, trade & logistics, manufacturing and many more participated in the event. In addition, "Your Image 20/20" gave out over 150 pieces of professional clothing to job seekers at no-cost. 

From Left to Right: SELACO WDB Executive Director Yolanda Castro, Downey Chamber Executive Director Michael Calvert, City of Downey Mayor Claudia Frometa, Assembly Member Blanca Pacheco, SELACO WDB Business Services Manager Ben Sandoval, SELACO WDB Deputy Director, Corina Coronel 

Executive Director Yolanda Castro supported the National Associations of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Roundtable discussion titled: From Rubber Stamping to Strategic Action: State and Local Workforce Board Responsibilities. The discussion served as an opportunity for state and local WDB members, their staff, and key stakeholders to better understand the board member’s direct and indirect role and responsibilities and how they make an impact on partnerships, service design, and economic growth, especially as related to addressing the creation and implementation of the state and /or local plans.

WIOA attendees were afforded an opportunity to engage with a panelist who shared promising practices, challenges, opportunities, strategies, and lessons learned as they developed relationships and engaged WDB members and key partners/stakeholders to advance workforce development initiatives forward while leveraging each other’s strengths to support the system. The panelist addressed questions such as:

·      How are State and/or Local Board Members part of State/Local Plan Development?

·      The Roles and Responsibilities of the WDBs with Service Design and Economic Impact?

CALIPATRIA, CA-Workers remove clay batches while extracting mud from the drilling well at the Controlled Thermal Resources geothermal energy and lithium plant on the south side of the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California.

Congratulations to our California Workforce Colleague - Imperial County Workforce Development Board - Recognized in Forbes Magazine for their involvement in the Lithium Valley Project. A great accolade to our public workforce system!

Click on link below to read full article:

The Jobs Perplex of the Lithium Valley

Executive Director Yolanda Castro joins Bob Lanter Executive Director of the California Workforce Association; Tamia Brown Executive Director of Contra Costa County Workforce Development Board; Blake Konczal Executive Director of Fresno Regional Workforce Development Board; and Rebecca Evans Executive Director of Ventura County Workforce Development Board as a panel guest to support a panel discussion on how Workforce Development Boards and Community College collaborate to address the needs of job seekers and local employers. 

The panel was held at the Inaugural Fall 2023 California Regions at Work Conference hosted by the Orange County Regional Consortium.

The panel shared how they currently collaborate with community colleges in their region to address skill gaps in the local labor market, how workforce boards can influence curriculum development, how existing partnerships directly impact student employment outcomes and enhance opportunities for accessibility, equitability, and support underrepresented or disadvantaged groups in the workforce. The panel also addressed ways partnerships between local community colleges and workforce boards can be enhanced. 

VPAN Veterans Breakfast

Executive Director, Yolanda Castro, Deputy Director. Corina Coronel and Assemblywoman, Blanca Pacheco.

Our Community Champions, including Downey Council Member Hector Sosa, Mayor Claudia Frometa, former Mayor Rick Rodriguez, Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco, and SELACO WDB Business Services Manager Ben Sandoval.

Meet with a VPAN Representative at the

Cerritos SELACO WDB America's Job Center of California (AJCC)

Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Inspirational Speaker / Clean Comedian - Mel Austin, instructs participants on how to properly compose a targeted resumé at the SELACO WDB America's Job Center of California.

The Off-Base Transition Training (OBTT) is offered by the Department of Labor and provides veterans and spouses with monthly, no-cost employment focused workshops available both in-person and virtually in the Southeast Los Angeles Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) Computer Lab. The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 23rd from 10am to 2pm.

Register online at dol.gov/obttworkshops

For more information email: vets-obtt@dol.gov

Meet with a Salvation Army Veterans Service Representative

at the Cerritos SELACO WDB

America's Job Center of California (AJCC)

Every Other Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Polytechnique was honored and humbled to receive the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) Business Champion Award. For the last 40 years, SELACO WDB has been connecting employers and employees, supporting on-the-job training programs, and offering career solutions to job seekers. Polytechnique is grateful for their partnership with SELACO WDB and looks forward to future opportunities to collaborate.

Polytechnique Environmental, Inc. (Polytechnique) provides environmental engineering services to municipal and industrial clients. Polytechnique specializes in environmental compliance, engineering, sustainability, grants, and hazardous building materials services.

The Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) paid work experience program is designed to assist job seekers who have significant gaps in their work history and are facing multiple barriers to employment. Participants are placed by the America's Job Center of California (AJCC) into subsidized, time-limited work within the public, private, or nonprofit sector. Transitional jobs are designed to assist participants with establishing a work history, demonstrate success in the workplace, and develop the skills that lead to entry into and retention in unsubsidized employment.

Engaging in this program can be highly beneficial for job seekers as the training provides them with specific occupational competencies needed to perform specific tasks on the job. These competencies include, but are not limited to: how to communicate in an office environment, how to function as part of a team, and how to work in a deadline-driven workplace. Employers who choose to offer work experience to job seekers also stand to benefit. By participating in this program, employers can improve their business's productivity while simultaneously making a positive impact in their community by helping individuals in need of employment opportunities.

Meet Kay Ford, with a forty-four-year history of successfully administering projects that cross both economic development and workforce development lines. She started her career as an intern for the California State legislature doing legislative research and writing policy drafts for the California legislators. Later she joined the County of Santa Barbara in their economic/employment and training division to monitor public and non-profit employment and training projects. A move to Los Angeles to be closer to her husband-to-be, put her in a new role of administering Housing, Energy Conservation, Youth Employment and Training and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) jails Vocational Education Program. After 37 years in that role, she retired from that position, and then Kay accepted the role of leading the Employment Training Panel (ETP) team at Southeast Los Angeles, County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB), eventually leading to the Deputy Director position for the Administrative and Business Services team. Along the way Kay earned her Paralegal Certification and then on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration, which both built professional skills that serve her well throughout her career and to this day, especially in today’s challenging business world. 

Kay has found her career to be most rewarding; as in all her roles, she worked with very dedicated staff who shared the common goal of improving the lives of less fortunate individuals, primarily at-risk youth, limited income seniors, and the incarcerated population. Kay’s role shifted once at SELACO WDB, to helping companies access corporate training to assure their employees gain valuable skills to strengthen their companies and prevent downsizing.

Kay is the proud mother of two successful young men. They were a joy to raise, excelled in school and athletics, earned Eagle Scout status and have parlayed their college education into wonderful careers. 

Kay was a 4^th generation native of Santa Barbara, with a great grandfather who owned the first furniture store (when State Street was dirt with horses tied up in front) in town and the other side of the family ran the stage coach stop, a restaurant, and the watering hole. 

Kay’s passion is service (which her son’s have inherited) and she has been a volunteer throughout her community in the Pasadena area for over 30 years. She loves to workout, spend time with family, and especially a new grandson, and of course, volunteer.

What is Toastmasters?

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization's membership is approximately 280,000 in more than 14,700 clubs in 144 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.

The Lunchtime Leaders is a local Toastmasters Club that meets every Wednesday at the Southeast Los Angeles, County Workforce Development Board (SELACO WDB) in Cerritos from noon to 1:00 p.m. Visitors are always welcome to attend meetings and learn how Toastmasters can become a valuable educational and professional development tool. Being a Toastmaster member looks impressive on any resumé. The leadership and communication experience can equip participating members with some of the most essential skills to succeed on the job!

For more information

on how to visit or join the

Cerritos Lunchtime Leaders Toastmaster Club,

please contact:

Lillian at lillian.lucero@selaco.com / (562) 484-5003

or

Tammy at tammyf@selaco.com / (562) 484-5052

January 25, 2024

3:00 p.m.- Workforce Development Board (WDB) Meeting

February 20, 2024

Noon - Policy Board Meeting

March 28, 2024

3:00 p.m.- Workforce Development Board (WDB) Meeting

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SELACO WDB is an equal opportunity employer/program operator, serving the following eight cities:

Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Norwalk and Paramount.

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

TDD/TTY 562-403-2125, CRS (800) 735-2922