P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network

Meeting Summary

JULY 2005

The July 2005 P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative Network (PCN) Meeting enjoyed two hosts. Reginald Garnett, Executive Director for the Business Training Schools, Inc., who coined the phrase of “Free Education” as the meeting theme, and our co-host Vivian Hochschild, Employment and Training Specialist of the Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA) who eloquently resonated Mr. Garnett’s remarks.  Our hosts reminded the PCN members that Free Education on human resources and social services is a direct result from attending and participating in the PCN. 

The PCN members also extends special appreciation to Alejandra Larios, Billy Williams, and Magdy Makar from Business Training Schools and Jennifer Capp from SASSFA for helping to make this a fine meeting. This was a great introduction to the City of Paramount for PCN.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inside this Summary:

å      Reginald Garnett, Campus Director for Business Training Schools.

å      Vivian Hochschild, Employment and Training Specialist for SASSFA.

å      Carolyn Hines discusses the importance of the Hospitality Industry.

å      Claudia L. Jones, COO for West Angeles CDC provides insight on Domestic Violence.

å      PCN Member Announcements.

å      Choreographers of Careers seeks nominations for 2005 Awards Program.

å      PCN JULY meeting attendee listing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reginald Garnett, Campus Director for Business Training Schools provided useful insight on the job placement services provided by his schools.  He attributes a portion of the school’s success with placement to the successful networking completed with the PCN.  Job placement has high priority with all students wanting to complete vocational education in property management, computer graphics, and or hospitality training. The Business Training Schools have two campuses to conveniently serve students, in either Lakewood or Paramount. 

The SASSFA works well with referrals and placements of Business Training School’s students. Similarly, the City of Paramount is making positive changes through the contributions of local businesses.  The Paramount Chamber of Commerce works to develop jobs for the area and is working with student recruitment for the Business Training Schools.

Vivian Hochschild, serves as the Employment and Training Specialist for the Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA) Worksource Center in Paramount.  The SASSFA team has successfully operated a Worksource Center over the past twelve years in Whittier, and they are excited about opening this additional center and the first for the City of Paramount. 

The Paramount Worksource had its grand opening on April 7, 2005, located at 15749 California Avenue, Paramount, CA 90723, just behind the Rosewood Restaurant.  Operating from the Workforce Investment Act, this center conducts client services for career training, case management, youth & adult programs, computer classes, job search and placement, resume writing, summer work experience, and free employment services for local companies.  The center is complete with state-of-the-art computers, facsimile, and phones available to clients.  By appointment,  Ms. Hochschild is open to provide tours to PCN, where her telephone number is (562) 633-9511, or email: hochschild@myjoblink.org

Carolyn Hines discussed the importance and magnitude of the hospitality industry.  The P.O.W.E.R. Collaborative organization provides for real networking and follow-up with its members.  Ms. Hines has worked in a large variety of hospitality industry positions as lead chef for many hotels that include the Hyatt, Hilton, Radisson, Best Western, Crystal Park Casino (formerly Lezbian Hotel) and other world class entertainment organizations.  The purpose for sharing a brief background is to emphasize the magnitude of the hospitality industry regarding employment opportunities. 

There are over 200 different job classes available with any major hotel.  This industry readily welcomes people with disabilities, multi-language, common positions (lawyers, accountants, marketing, etc.) and uniquely skilled positions (musicians, artist, shoppers, etc.), and of course all races, and genders.  This is primarily because the world’s people make up the hospitality industry’s customer base.  The average hotel uses over a dozen different languages just among the staff members. 

Business Training Schools is requesting that anyone having clients wanting to know more about the hospitality industry to alert their clients to meet with a Business Training Schools representative.  The hospitality field has an abundant resource of jobs with fewer people to fill them.  For example, the Home Depot Sport Center in Carson consistently offers special programs for youth that require energetic people to participate and learn world-class activity in the process. 

Ms. Hines trains young people on seeing beyond the front line talent and to see the career opportunities behind the artist.  One talent may generate many jobs from the transportation, ticketing, staging, cooking, marketing, legal services and much more.  Even though the hospitality positions have low entry-level salaries, the tips can be outstanding.  Just as when Super Bowl football games take place, they begin on the Thursday preceding the Sunday match and must have workers available to support the process to accommodate hosting and party coordination.  Ms. Hines’ telephone is (562) 889-7764, or email: cchristianhines@yahoo.com.

Claudia L. Jones, Chief Operating Officer for West Angeles Community Development Corporation provided a very interesting and important discussion on Domestic Violence that effects most Americans in and out of the work place. 

As a background, the West Angeles Church of God in Christ has a variety programs that are bettering the community including the Community Development Corporation empowerment outreach, affordable housing, homebuyer education, debt counseling, and commercial real estate.  There is a new program for job placement in the entertainment field, such as accounting, customer service, and telemarketing.  Ms. Thrash is the program director.

The funding for the Empowerment Program did not receive new annual allocation approval from the State of California.  Although there is a staff reduction, the West Angeles CDC will continue to participate with PCN meetings because it is a good organization. 

Ms. Jones described a number of statistics regarding domestic abuse that in many cases negatively affect the productivity output in American jobs.  Domestic violence can also hinder and create barriers to employment.  It is the number one under-reported crime in America.  The symptoms of domestic violence are important to know so that people working in human social services can intervene and offer help for men and women.

People who are victims of domestic violence stay in the abusive situation usually from shame and fear.  The abuser is in control and the victim becomes dependent to the abuse.  Domestic abuse crosses all ages, genders, sexes, religions, and income levels.  Four million American women suffer some kind abuse, every fifteen seconds another woman is abused, 3-4 million woman are battered each year, or 1 of 3 women are in a social, economic, verbal, and or physical abuse environment.

Statistically, 95% of domestic abuse victims are women, 70% of annual homicide victims are women, and 30% of homes suffer some kind of domestic violence.  Job training is difficult when you are afraid which is why it is important to identify the signs, ask the right questions, and make the right referral for help.  Ms. Jones works with peer mediation and violence reduction among teens.  She shared a great one-woman entertainment show that is interactive with the audience to open the need to understand this sickness.

Ms. Jones provided a comprehensive handout to all PCN members in attendance about domestic violence.  The handout talks the signs of seeming distant, jumpy, frighten, flinching when touched, bruises, excessive drug and/or alcohol use, constant interruptions from spouse, name-calling, disrespect, emotional abuse, control away from financial resources or educational skills. The main thing is to allow the victim to make the decision to seek help and respect their right to make the decision.  Ms. Jones works with DART – Domestic Abuse Resource Team counselors who support the Los Angeles Police Departments with domestic violence calls to talk with victims to let them know that they are not alone.  To inform them about safe processes and strategies like changing locks, restraining orders, informing neighbors about the changes, and how to get counseling.  The main thing is offering someone they can trust to help the victim make the choice to leave the abusive situation.

Claudia Jones’ number is (323) 291-1472, ext. 13, or email: cjones@westangelescdc.org

PCN Member Announcements:

Elainea Robbins, Los Angeles Urban League, RELAY FOR LIFE Luminary Ceremony will take place on Saturday, August 13 at 9:00 p.m. at Rancho Cienega Sports Complex, 5001 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90016.

Robert Hamm, Los Angeles Unified School District, full-time positions available Custodial, Grounds and Building work available with the district.

Michael Richardson, Los Angeles Unified School District, ten-week construction trade apprentice training program--‘We Build.’

LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill Industries-Long Beach, Kelly Home Care services will hold recruitment for Caregivers, Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides for full-time and part-time positions at the Goodwill Carmelitos Workforce Development Office on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 from 10-12 pm.

Jean Franklin, City of Refuge – Anchor of Hope Ministries, is coordinating and recruiting employers for a new contributors’ re-entry job fair in November 2005.

Francisco Segolia, La Casa, home ownership informational program at the South Los Angeles WorkSource Center.

Debra Deras, DES, free seminar on New Developments in Labor Law at the Veterans Auditorium, Rotunda Room, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City on Thursday, July 21, 2005 from 8:30 AM to –11:00 AM.

Delinda Grayes, LAOIC, is seeking students for new training classes that are now open in retail sales and office administration.

Frank Melli, JobStarts, Inc., is seeking students for entrepreneurial training program.

Sharon Rochelle, DPSS GROW, announced special Job Fair July 14, 2005 Jesse Owens Park Los Angeles 9:00 AM – noon.

Our host for the next PCN meeting is the Los Angeles World Airports, on Monday, September 12, 2005, from 10:00 AM – noon, at The Flight Path Learning Center and Museum, 6661 West Imperial Highway, Los Angeles, CA 90045.  PCN is seeking nominations for this second annual award program entitled; choreographers of careers.

The awards program represents a special  recognition for some of the front line people who help shape and motivate people to full employment and self-empowerment.  In a geographical area that has considerably more people than available jobs, it becomes more than a regular challenge to place potential and qualified job applicants into livable wage positions.  There has to be creativity and persistence to help people seeking job opportunities in the Southern California area, which is a special attribute of these notable job development program specialist who are actually choreographers of careers.

Please submit your nomination to the Southland Business Development Partnership attention, Dean Jones, by August 1, 2005.  For more information please call (310) 637-7248.

 

For more information about PCN go to: http://bizpartnership.biz/events.htm

JULY PCN meeting attendees:

Allyson Lavalais, Los Angeles World Airports

Anita Wallace, Los Angeles Urban League

Ava Smith-Moxin, Genesis 1 Foundation

Billy Williams, Business Training Schools

Carla Cortez, Department of Public Social Services

Carlos E. Ruvalcada, Community Centers, Inc.

Carolyn Hines, Hines Hospitality Group

Christine Fisher, Computer Access Center

Claudia Jones, West Angeles CDC

Danna Whittman, Beyond Shelter

Dean Jones, Southland Business Development Partnership

Debra Deras, DES

Delinda Grayes, LAOIC

Dinah White, State of CA, Employment Development Department

Elainea Robbins, Los Angeles Urban League

Emma Velazquez, Union Bank of California

Francisco Segolia, La Casa

Frank Melli, JobStarts, Inc.

Gary Wright, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Gil Del Toro, ICDC College

Jean Franklin, City of Refuge – Anchor of Hope Ministries

John Colville, Paramount Chamber of Commerce

Josie Starling, Wings of Refuge

LaVonté Jackson, Goodwill Industries-Long Beach

Linda Marquez, Jewish Vocational Services

Magdy Makar, Business Training Schools

Maria Garcia, Jobstarts

Marilyn Horton, Business Training Schools

Marta Rodriguez, Charo Community Development Corporation

Marvin Gomez, ICDC College

Michael Richardson, Los Angeles Unified School District

Mindy Owes, RAFT, Inc.

Patricia Calloway, Calloway & Associates

Phyllis Mack, Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE)

Portia Smith, State of CA Employment Development Department, Crenshaw Office

Rick Stoff, Chrysallis

Robert Hamm, Los Angeles Unified School District

Ronnie Pratts, Beyond Shelter

Sergio Velasquez, DPSS Grow

Sharon Rochelle, DPSS GROW

Susan Brown, Safe Passage

Vickie Ellington, Business Training Schools

Victoria Westerskov, SCROC

Vivian Hochschild, SASSFA

Whitney Daniel, Meaning & Purpose, Inc.

Yolanda France, Business Training Schools

This forwarded email is from the Southland Business Development Partnership, 700 North Bullis Road, Compton, CA 90221, (310) 637-7248, and facsimile 310.637.7412, www.BizPartnership.biz.  Should you choose to discontinue your community service email information notices, simply reply “Remove From List.”