City Government

Unemployed Seek Work at West Oakland Job Resource Center

Published

11 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 November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.