New Project to Connect Foster Care Youth to Jobs

 PIC is involved in a new project to help foster care youth in Oakland successfully enter the world of work - the Oakland Citywide Youth Jobs Initiative (OCYJI), based at the Downtown One Stop Career Center.

OCYJI will utilize PIC's resources to develop jobs in key industries and make them available to young people who live in Oakland, and provide information and support to employers throughout Oakland to help them hire and retain young workers.

The Downtown Career Center, located at 1212 Broadway, will be a central hub for referrals to jobs and training opportunities, service providers and public agencies working with foster youth and former foster youth.

Gap Inc. and The San Francisco Foundation are providing the funding for the project. Partnering agencies include the Independent Living Skills Program, First Place Fund for Youth, Beyond Emancipation and Pivotal Point.

A series of six free job readiness workshops are offered to increase employment skills for foster care youth, ages 16-24.  For more information, contact Robin Raveneau at (510) 768-4402, or rraveneau@oaklandpic.org. For a  copy of the most recent job readiness workshop flyer, click here.

 SSA Career Center Project

 Through a partnership with Alameda County Social Services Agency (SSA), the Oakland Private Industry Council (PIC) operates two SSA Career Centers in conjunction with the county’s North Oakland and Eastmont Self Sufficiency Centers.  The centers serve General Assistance (GA) and CalWORKs clients in Oakland, including those who are limited English proficient (LEP), and offer both generalized and intensive job search services as follows:

 

• Job readiness workshops
• Computer training
• One-on-one counseling
• Computer resource room
• Job leads
• Employment training information
• On-site employer recruitments
• Career fairs

The SSA Career Centers are located at:

 

North Oakland Self Sufficiency Center

2000 San Pablo Avenue, 2nd Floor

Oakland, CA 94612

(510) 208-0903                              

 

Eastmont Town Center

C/o Eastmont Computing Center

7200 Bancroft Ave, Suite 209

Oakland, CA 94605

(510) 382-0555