SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CAREERS / BALANCING WORK AND FAMILY : Resource Guide : Where to Find Tips, Testing and Training at Little or No Cost

Apprenticeship Preparation Classes

Sponsored by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Services:

* Prepares trainees to successfully meet apprenticeship entry requirements in a variety of trades, including surveying, sheet metal, plumbing/steamfitting, painting/drywall, electrical, sprinkler fitting, carpentry, refrigeration/air conditioning.

* Information on selection processes of various unions

* Instruction and review in math and reading skills

* Affirmative action recruiting, focusing on minorities and women but open to all qualified applicants

Eligibility:

* 18 years or older

* High-school graduate/G.E.D. certificate

* Valid California driver’s license

* Must be able to provide own transportation

Enrollment periods:

* Fall: August and September

* Spring: January and February

* Summer: May and June

Cost: $5 registration fee

Hours: 8 a.m.-noon, Mon.-Fri.

Address: Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, 10925 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles

Telephone: (213) 564-1431, Ext. 315

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Aware Advisory

Services: vocational and educational counseling; not a placement service

Cost: $5 donation per visit (may be waived for the unemployed); $20 fee for Strong Interest Inventory testing (includes counseling)

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon. and Wed.

Address: Santa Monica YWCA, 2019 14th St., Santa Monica

Telephone: (310) 452-3833

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Brady JobNet

Serves primarily lower-income individuals and families in East Los Angeles and surrounding areas, but all persons are welcome.

Services:

* Three-day employment readiness seminar in English and Spanish

* Job-search mentoring

* Help with resumes

* Interview practice

* Placement and follow-ups

* Referrals to employers

* Job club

Cost: Free to participants and employers, except $3 charge for seminar materials

Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Thur.

Address: 715 S. Brady Ave., Los Angeles

Telephone: (213) 722-4495

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California Business Incubation Network

Nonprofit, statewide association of business incubator advocates fostering the development of new business in California. Business incubators provide small, entrepreneurial businesses with affordable space, shared support services and business development services, such as financing, marketing and management. Incubators nurture young businesses during the start-up period.

Services offered by CBIN:

* Information clearinghouse

* Technical assistance with development and operations

* Seminars, conferences and workshops

* Speakers bureau

Cost: Complimentary information packet; membership fees: $100 individual, $500 corporate

Address: 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90071

Telephone: Sheila Washington at (619) 237-0559; (800) 427-4710 (California only)

Facility-based incubators in Southern California:

* Business Innovation Center, 3350 Market St., San Diego, (619) 685-2949

* Business and Industry Services Center, 901 E. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 564-5202

* CalStart, 3601 Empire Blvd., Burbank, (818) 565-5600

* CHARO Enterprise Innovation Center, 3951 E. Medford St., Los Angeles, (213) 269-0751

* EC Square Annenberg Incubator Project, 746 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 90089, 743-2344.

* Lancaster Economic Development Corp., 104 E. Avenue K-4, Suite A, Lancaster, (805) 945-2741

* Lynwood Entrepreneur Development Academy, 2555 Industry Way, Suite C and D, Lynwood, (213) 249-4980.

* Pasadena Enterprise Center, 1015 N. Lake Ave., Suite 100, Pasadena, (818) 398-9974

* RBTIC (Ridgecrest Business Technology Incubator Center), 139 N. Balsam St., Ridgecrest, (619) 384-1118

* Vermont Slauson Business Center, 5918 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 753-2335

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California Conservation Corps

Hires young men and women to work for one year on a variety of environmental and community projects and to respond to emergencies such as forest fires, floods and earthquakes. Corps members learn job skills and gain work experience. Both residential and non-residential positions are available.

Qualifications: Women and men between the ages of 18 and 23 who are California residents and not on probation or parole

Telephone: (800) 952-5627

City of Los Angeles

Employment Opportunities

Listing of current job openings with the city (not including police officers and firefighters), updated weekly. “Challenging Careers” brochure available upon request.

Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Address: 700 E. Temple St., Room 100, Los Angeles

Telephone: (213) 847-9240

Jobs hot line: (213) 847-9424. Call for recorded message listing current openings (24 hours) Comprehensive Jobs

Assistance Centers (CJACs)

A one-stop career center sponsored by the city of Los Angeles Private Industry Council (PIC). CJACs assist dislocated workers (plant closures, layoffs and long-term unemployed) with job search, training and placement.

Services:

* Counseling and assessment

* Workshops on resume writing, interviewing skills, networking and economic survival

* Supportive services such as stress and financial management, and if qualified, transportation and child-care assistance

* Remedial skills training

* Retraining opportunities, such as classroom, on-the-job and customized training

* Job resource centers including telephones, faxes, job listings and copiers

* WorkLink computer network matching employers/job opportunities to job seekers

Locations:

* Crenshaw/South-Central, 3500 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 743-3950

* East Los Angeles/Central City, 3951 E. Medford St., Los Angeles, (213) 268-1100.

* Mid-Wilshire/West Los Angeles, 1541 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 407, Los Angeles, (213) 353-1677 * Northwest San Fernando Valley, 14515 Hamlin St., Van Nuys, (818) 781-2522

* Northeast San Fernando Valley, 2600 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, (818) 972-2695.

* Harbor Gateway/Wilmington/San Pedro, 1 Civic Plaza, Suite 500, Carson, (310) 518-8100

Cost: Free to people who qualify

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

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Employment Development Department

State agency offering a variety of services to job-seekers and employers.

Services:

* Job Match, a statewide computer network matching applicants and openings

* Job-search training workshops

* Experience Unlimited job clubs geared to professional, managerial and technical workers seeking jobs

* Referrals to training or educational facilities and social service agencies

* Unemployment and disability insurance

Cost: Free

Telephone: Look for nearest EDD Job Service office, listed under “California, State of” in the government listings section at the beginning of the telephone directory white pages.

Employment Service Centers

Assists adults who are long-term unemployed (14 weeks or more), laid-off, economically disadvantaged or receiving public assistance to find employment.

Services:

* Aptitude, basic skills and interest inventory testing

* Referrals to vocational classroom training

* Job development

* Job readiness workshops

Costs: Free to qualified applicants

Locations:

* East Los Angeles Client Service Center, 215 W. Pomona Blvd., Suite 300, Monterey Park, (213) 887-7122

* South Central Client Service Center, 2930 W. Imperial Highway, Suite 515, Inglewood, (213) 779-2199

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

Forty Plus

A nonprofit, self-help employment service for people over 40 with professional, technical or executive experience.

Services:

Reimbursement of training costs to employers are negotiated prior to training.

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Address: Charles Lundberg, Employment Training Panel, 800 Capitol Mall, MIC 64, P.O. Box 826880, Sacramento, CA 94280-0001

Telephone: (916) 654-9883

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Los Angeles Urban League

Seeks to secure social and economic opportunities for African Americans and other minorities through a variety of programs, including counseling, training, placement and community development.

Services:

* Employment Services Department assists job-ready applicants who are professional, skilled or semi-skilled and seeking employment or a career change. Applicants and employers are served through counseling, workshops and a job bank.

* Data Processing Center offers courses in computer program-ming, computer operations and automated office procedures.

* Pomona Valley TEC conducts specialized vocational training in electronics, machine tool technology, word processing and data entry. Displaced workers program.

* Milken Family Literacy & Youth Training Center provides instruction in reading, writing, math and problem solving to assist youth and their families in developing skills to compete for employment.

* Pasadena-Foothill Branch offers career counseling and job placement.

* Automotive Training Center

* Entrepreneurial Training and Business Development Center

* Financial Training Center

Cost: Free

Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Address: 3450 Mt. Vernon Drive, Los Angeles (call for addresses of other locations)

Telephone: (213) 299-9660

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Mexican American Opportunity Foundation

Services:

* Job listings

* Computer training in WordPerfect, dBase IV, Lotus 123 and DOS

* On-the-job training, with partial reimbursement to employers

* Work experience for preschool teacher’s aides

* Basic skills training in reading comprehension and math

* Limited internships for youths 18 to 21 years old in the private sector, with paid wages during training

* Child care

* ESL citizenship classes

Cost: Free

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Address: 401 N. Garfield Ave., Montebello

Telephone: (213) 890-9600

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SCORE

The Service Corps of Retired Executives is a nonprofit organization sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Volunteers share their business experience with people who plan to go into business and those already in business who need advice.

Services:

* Counseling in areas such as business planning, advertising, accounting, inventory control, cash and credit management, marketing, financial and licensing requirements

* Monthly calendar of seminars mailed on request

Cost: One-on-one counseling is free; seminars and workshops at nominal fees

Call for locations of counseling centers in Southern California:

* Los Angeles County: (818) 552-3206

* Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties: (714) 550-7369

* San Diego and Imperial counties: (619) 557-7272

* Ventura County: (805) 642-1866

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Second Careers

A nonprofit project of the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles serving mostly people 40 and over.

Services:

* Job placement (primarily office-related opportunities, including clerical, secretarial, word processing, customer service, telemarketing and accounting)

* Resource library

* Retirement planning

Cost: Free to job-seekers; modest fees for employers

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Address: 3530 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1220, Los Angeles

Telephone: (213) 380-3166

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UAW-Labor Employment Training Corp.

A private, nonprofit corporation that provides human resource services to employers, employees and others.

Services:

* Job search and placement

* Classroom training in basic skills and office automation/word processing

* On-the-job training

* Human resource management, development and support

* Customized training

Cost: Free to eligible employers, employees and other applicants

Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Address: 790 E. Willow St., Long Beach (corporate office); 12 field offices in Southern California

Telephone: (213) 562-6100

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UCI Extension Women’s Opportunities Center

Career development center. Open to men and women in the community.

Services:

* One-on-one career counseling

* Workshops

* Resume counseling

* Weekly job-search support groups run by Orange County executives

* Career-education resource library

* Job listings

* Discounts to specified UCI Extension courses

* Career/vocational aptitude testing

Cost: $60 annual membership fee; additional fees for workshops and career-vocational aptitude testing.

Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Mon.-Thur.; 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Fri.; 9 a.m.-noon, Sat.

Address: The center is located at the UCI Extension complex on the UC Irvine campus.

Telephone: (714) 824-7128

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UCLA Extension

UCLA Extension offers more than 80 certificated programs to help job seekers become more marketable.

Topics include:

* Business and management

* Computers and information systems

* Entertainment studies

* Graphic design

* Hospitality and foodservice

* Interior and environmental design

* International business

* Journalism, public relations and fund raising

* Landscape architecture

* Legal interpretation and translation

* Personal financial planning

* Screenwriting

New offerings in emerging technologies:

* Client/server networks and object-oriented programming

* Computer graphics, emphasizing interactive, multimedia design

* Entertainment studies courses in multimedia and digital technologies

* Writing for interactive media

Cost: Varies

Address: UCLA Extension, 10995 LeConte Ave., Los Angeles 90024

Telephone: (800) 554-UCLA (catalog requests); (310) 825-9971 or (818) 784-7006 (for registration)