City Government

Unemployed Seek Work at West Oakland Job Resource Center

Published

12 years ago

January 2, 2014

Job seekers flock to the West Oakland Job Resource Center (WOJRC) each month, seeking work to support themselves and their families.

They attend monthly orientations and are met with a list of requirements for apprenticeship programs throughout the Bay Area.

Started in March with funding from the City of Oakland, the resource center was designed to connect job seekers with contractors working on the Oakland Army Base project seeking to meet local hire requirements.

However, when the start of the development project took longer than expected, staff at the job center pulled from other sources to give the men and women that come through their doors a way to find work.

“We narrowed our focus to construction and expanded our approach, really looking at how to move people into the trade apprenticeship programs,” said Susie Suafai, Program Manager at WOJRC.

The center’s staff has encouraged job seekers to pursue positions that can lead to long-term careers like construction, carpentry, engineering, and other skilled trades. Most of these jobs require applicants to first complete an apprenticeship and join a union to be eligible to work.

Basic requirements for job seekers are to be 18 years or older, provide proof of legal eligibility to work in the U.S., proof of Oakland residency for six months, preferably a high school diploma or GED, to pass a drug test, have a valid California Driver’s License and access to reliable transportation.

Yet, there serious obstacles for many job seekers,who are unemployed and looking for a steady income. Without work, they often do not have the cars or money to travel long distances to and from work sites, and they are unable to buy work tools and other equipment, or to pay the upfront union fees.

The process can be discouraging for those who are trying to get in the door.

“When they find out the process that it takes to become qualified, we don’t see a lot of them [come back],” said Suafai.

“They just want a job, and they need it yesterday.”

The job center will have an electrician apprenticeship workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon at the West Oakland library, 1801 Adeline St., 2^nd floor in Oakland. A representative from the apprenticeship program will be presenting.

The minimum requirements for this apprenticeship include: be at least 18 years old, have graduated from high school or have a GED, have a valid driver’s license, and have successfully completed high school algebra.

To reserve a space for this workshop, call WOJRC at (510) 419-0509.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.