New Job Corps Campus Supports Workforce Training in South Park Downtown Los Angeles

When the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles (YWCA GLA) needed to update their Job Corps training facilities and aging technology so that they could continue to adequately train job-seekers, they acquired land downtown to establish a new urban campus.

Today, the new facility - which helped the organization consolidate their job training services - assists the homeless, emancipated, and at-risk youth by providing training in over 30 vocational trades including health care, business technology, communications, building trades, electronics and culinary arts.

To help bring the new facility to fruition, the YWCA GLA applied for funding through EDA’s (PDF). Their efforts to support workforce development and job training services in a blighted community qualified them for assistance.

In June 2007, EDA awarded YWCA GLA a $1.9 million grant that would help them with infrastructure needs and equipment purchase for their new Job Corps Urban Campus training facility.

Training provided through the center includes professional development in healthcare, clerical, hospitality, construction, security and culinary arts. Partnering with more than 40 businesses annually, between 90 and 95% of the trainees are successfully placed.

Ms. Katrina Domingo is a proud August 2016 graduate of both the Los Angeles Job Corps Ambulatory Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) and Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) programs.

While enrolled in the program she and her husband were also raising two young children, ages three and five years. The Job Corp child care allowance was a great help in supporting their efforts to complete school.

Following graduation, Ms. Domingo took on full time responsibilities as a Charge Nurse at the Country Villa East convalescent hospital in Los Angeles. She also works part time at the Oak Park Health Care Center. She is working both jobs while her husband completes his Physical Therapist course of study. Katrina aspires to be a Registered Nurse (RN), and plans to continue her education, returning to school to attain her RN license.

Ms. Domingo credits her success to the YWCA Greater Los Angeles Job Corps program.

“I am really grateful for everything the YWCA Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Job Corps Center did for me. It really shifted my life in a better direction. One of my favorite experiences while in Job Corps was when I was elected as the Vice President of the Student Government Association. I learned so much. Just being surrounded by positive people, being able to volunteer in a lot of activities and inspire others is such a great and rewarding feeling.”

In addition to helping young people achieve their goals, the YWCA GLA project also helped to attract private investment to the underdeveloped South Park region of downtown Los Angeles, furthering efforts to redevelop the area.

YWCA GLA’s efforts to enhance its Job Corps Urban Campus training facility have resulted in the creation of 900 jobs, the retention of 148 jobs, and has attracted $70 million in private investment.

“We are very grateful for the EDA grant support,” said YWCA GLA President and Chief Executive Officer, Faye Washington. “The Urban Campus was a very important project for the success of the Los Angeles Job Corps center and was the first project of the continuing ongoing development boom in the South Park area of downtown Los Angeles. The growing economy and job growth has presented new employment opportunities for our youth.”