Jobs + Vision = Success

Income inequality

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles County's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April 2025 was at 5.8%, slightly down from March 2025's revised rate of 5.9% (California Employment Development Department). The Los Angeles County region is bracing for the likelihood of rising unemployment in response to recent executive orders and federal government directives impacting tens of thousands of federal employees and local-level private-sector workers. JVS SoCal programs stem the tide of unemployment and help many, like Edith, move from underemployment to thriving employment. JVS SoCal's BankWork$ program teaches students the fundamentals of sales and customer service, banking and lending products, basic accounting and the relationship building skills necessary for success. Employed at BMO, Edith credits BankWork$ with changing her life. “If it wasn’t for BankWork$, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today. I also have a branch manager who went through the same program, that I can relate to,” shares Edith.

Careers change lives. Powered by 20+ locations and more than fifty employer, training and resource partners, JVS SoCal programming and approaches empower job seekers throughout the region annually to gain access to opportunity and achieve economic self-sufficiency. Our approach is individualized for those who turn to us to navigate resource systems, complete vocational training and connect with competitive wage employment, and regain and maintain stable housing. In example, JVSWorks - JVS SoCal's proprietary suite of vocational training programs - has five no-cost, eight or 12-week expert-led training programs that require only a diploma or GED and prepare low-to-moderate income individuals for career trajectories in high-growth industries. Veterans First is peer-led and eases the transition of U.S. military veterans, transitioning service members, spouses and reservists- including those with other than honorable discharges and those with justice system involvement - from military life to life and work as a civilian. Our refugee employment program guides refugees to vocational English competency and entry-level employment. General operating support helps us provide our clients with the responsive programming they deserve, adapt to emerging challenges, and sustain our mission-driven employment services and vocational training in high-growth and emerging industries including financial services, healthcare, apartment maintenance, aerospace manufacturing and renewable energy.

The employment landscape is in constant flux, shaped by technological advancements, economic shifts, and societal changes. JVS SoCal is responding with the introduction of new career pathways and credentials, such as in clean economy, construction, and clinical, administrative, and medical imagining tracks in healthcare, ensuring our clients remain competitive in high-growth industries. Flexible funding allows us to respond to economic shifts with disproportionate impacts. For example, women and people of color have been disproportionately affected by job losses in service industries since 2020, with the impact continuing today. Therefore, they remain a priority JVS SoCal audience for upskilling and reskilling to prevent subsequent disaffection by economic downturns. By expanding wraparound services, including assistance with transportation, professional clothing/uniforms and childcare, JVS SoCal ensures these communities have the resources to pursue meaningful employment.