It’s a pleasure to serve as the new executive director of the WDBCCC. I joined the WDB on July 6, and it has been non-stop busy over the past month as I work to familiarize myself with the needs of Contra Costa jobseekers and businesses. I am excited to be a part of this organization as we focus our efforts on an equitable economic recovery. There is much work to be done, and I am committed to working with our Board to carry out their vision for a recovered Contra Costa economy – one where workers and employers alike are able to thrive.
Tamia Brown, Executive Director
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Amazon's Black Business Accelerator Offers Growth Opportunities
ICYMI: SBA #GetBackonTrack Webinar for Small Businesses
At the San Ramon State of the County District 2 Address
Mark Your Calendars for These August Events!
East Bay EDA Announces 2021 Innovation Awards Finalists
Jobseeker: Working with Career Coach 'Changed My Life'
Partner Spotlight: Employment Development Department Workforce Services
Q&A With Board Member Robert Muller
Labor-Market Update
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AMAZON'S BLACK BUSINESS ACCELERATOR OFFERS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES |
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If you are a Black-owned business wanting to sell your products on Amazon, you now have access to specialized resources and support with Amazon’s new Black Business Accelerator (BBA).
Amazon is committing $150 million to help Black entrepreneurs build their brands and sell their products to Amazon’s 300 million global customers. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency and U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., BBA provides Black-owned retailers access to financial assistance, strategic business guidance and mentorship, and marketing and promotional support.
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ICYMI: SBA GET #BACKONTRACK WEBINAR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES |
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Is your small business looking for digital resources to sustain and grow beyond the pandemic? That’s just one of the topics covered in this hourlong webinar by the SBA and the Public Private Strategies Institute as part of an ongoing series titled Getting Back on Track: Help is Here!
The webinar provides guidance and tips on relief options available for your business and the role of vaccines in getting back to business. This particular episode focuses on SBA’s Pacific Region, which includes California.
Watch it now to help get your business #BackonTrack!
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AT THE SAN RAMON STATE OF THE COUNTY DISTRICT 2 ADDRESS |
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WDB staff and board members attended the July 21 State of the County Address presented by District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen and hosted by the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce. Supporting the event as Silver Sponsors, we helped to ensure county residents received the latest information about the COVID-19 economic recovery and other important issues facing the county.
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Pictured from left to right: Board Chair Yolanda Vega, Board Co-Chair Terry Curley, Business Manager Patience Ofodu, Board Member Vittoria Abbate and Executive Director Tamia Brown. |
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE AUGUST EVENTS! |
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Be sure to mark your calendar for these WDBCCC and partner events in August:
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Thursday, August 5: WDBCCC and the California Employment Development Department present the Laid Off/Furloughed Employee Resources Webinar. Get answers about workforce services, unemployment insurance, healthcare coverage and additional resources. More information on the August 5 page of this calendar.
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Tuesday, August 10: AJCC East Bay Works presents a WIOA Info Session – Virtual. More information on the August 10 page of this calendar.
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Wednesday, August 11: AJCC East Bay Works presents CCWC Resume Writing Workshop II. More information on the August 11 page of this calendar.
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Thursday, August 12: AJCC East Bay Works presents CCWC Job Search with CalJOBS Workshop II. More information on the August 12 page of this calendar.
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Wednesday, August 18: California Employers Association (CEA) presents Recruiting in a Post-COVID-19 World. More information about this online seminar here.
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Thursday, August 19: WDBCCC and the California Employment Development Department present the Laid Off/Furloughed Employee Resources Webinar. Get answers about workforce services, unemployment insurance, healthcare coverage and additional resources. More information on the August 19 page of this calendar.
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EAST BAY EDA ANNOUNCES 2021 INNOVATION AWARDS FINALISTS |
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Wondering which East Bay companies are among the most innovative? Our partner East Bay EDA recently announced the 2021 East Bay Innovation Awards finalists. More than 200 East Bay companies and organizations were nominated for the Innovation Awards this year, showcasing the best examples of innovation in product development, services and processes.
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JOBSEEKER: WORKING WITH CAREER COACH 'CHANGED MY LIFE' |
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Before enrolling in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program through Rubicon Programs, Christine Yannelli was unemployed. She was feeling frustrated and hopeless about finding a job. While she had years of varied work experience and a master’s degree, she lacked the focus and motivation to actively pursue job opportunities on her own.
“Once I connected with WIOA, I was assigned to career coach Victoria Clark. Working with Victoria really turned things around for me, as our scheduled check-ins helped me take accountability and further encouraged me to explore my interests,” Yannelli said.
With Victoria’s assistance, Yannelli explored attending a training program to sharpen her bookkeeping skills. This resulted in her landing a job as an expert bookkeeper with Intuit, where she is currently employed.
Even though she still is adjusting to her new position at Intuit, she hopes to continue building her bookkeeping skills through continued education.
“I am extremely grateful to Rubicon Programs and Victoria, as I had been floundering for quite some time and working with her changed my life,” Yannelli said. “Not only did I find renewed confidence in my abilities, but also the drive and focus to follow through and accomplish clear results.”
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EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WORKFORCE SERVICES BRANCH |
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A key partner for the WDBCCC is California’s Employment Development Department Workforce Services Branch (WSB). The EDD WSB delivers several employment and training programs, including those authorized by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Wagner-Peyser Act. The department seeks to prepare all jobseekers for the workforce, including dislocated workers, youth, veterans, people with disabilities, and migrant and seasonal farmworkers. The EDD WSB also manages CalJOBS, an online resource for jobseekers and employers.
WDBCCC board member Richard Johnson is the Cluster Manager for the EDD WSB Concord office. In this role, he leads program delivery for Contra Costa County.
In conjunction with the WDBCCC, the WSB serves jobseekers with:
- Assistance registering in CalJOBS
- One-on-one career coaching
- How-to information through workshops on job applications, resumes, interview preparation and more
- Assistance with Unemployment Insurance (UI), disability insurance and paid family leave
The EDD WSB’s services to employers include:
- Connections to work-ready employees
- Seminars to promote inclusionary hiring for underserved and underrepresented populations
As the state emerges from the pandemic, Johnson said, a challenge workers face is receiving UI benefits. While his department does not process workers’ UI-related claims, his colleagues help workers navigate the UI system to understand the delay.
The WSB Concord Field Office is starting to return to in-person service. Johnson and his colleagues began seeing customers by appointment on a part-time basis in July. Starting on Aug. 16, customers can walk in for assistance Monday through Friday.
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Q&A WITH BOARD MEMBER ROBERT MULLER |
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Robert Muller joined the WDB board in 2018 and serves on the Youth Committee.
Q: What is your profession, and how does it intersect with workforce development?
A: I am the Learning and Development Manager for PBF Energy at the Martinez Refining Company. In addition to being on the Workforce Development Board and a member of the Youth Committee, I’m also on the PTEC Advisory Board at Los Medanos College, and I run the Martinez Ambassador program for our site. Additionally, I’m involved in the recruitment, hiring, and training of crafts and production employees at our location.
Q: Why do you choose to serve on the WDBCCC?
A: Two reasons really. First, I feel it is very important that our company is represented in and supports the community in which we operate. Serving on the WDB is my small way of contributing to both. The other reason I serve on this Board is that we are doing a lot of very positive things for the residents of Contra Costa. I go to work every day to support my family; being on the WDB is one of the ways in which I help support my community.
Q: What aspects of your board service are you most passionate about?
A: Primarily, serving on the Youth Committee, along with several other Board members. The Youth Committee exists to help at-risk and low-income young adults find vocational training, further education, and ultimately a career. A lot of times it is very difficult for young people to get started in life simply because they do not know what opportunities or assistance is available. The feeling of helplessness and low self-esteem can be overwhelming. Our committee tries to rectify that wherever possible. Helping young people achieve what they never thought was possible for themselves is incredibly rewarding.
Being a member of the Youth Committee also afforded me the opportunity to be a part of the Ambassador Program. This is where we send our younger employees out in the community to speak at high schools, junior colleges, adult schools and military transition events about careers in manufacturing.
Q: How do you see the WDB assisting in Contra Costa's economic recovery from the pandemic?
A: Doing what we do to help people get back to work. My feeling is that the need to work and have a sense of self-worth is an innate, almost primitive human instinct. People want to work in meaningful jobs to support their families and contribute to society. The WDB helps by connecting jobseekers with first-class vocational training and real employment opportunities.
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