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ANTHONY MENDEZ
TRUCK DRIVER
ENTREPRENEUR
His life was in a bad place when Anthony Mendez decided to give the services provided by WDB a try.
“I was trying to fix my debt and had been out of work five years due to a panic disorder,” Mendez said. “I made a very true assessment of myself and began to turn things around.”
He got a part-time job, but wanted more. Interested in truck driving since he was a young man, Mendez visited a WDB job center – where he was able to get the support, financial and otherwise, to pursue his first real career.
"Workforce paid for my school in full,” Mendez said. “Four years later, I’m an experienced truck driver, and am actually buying my own truck. I’m going to work as an independent.”
The experience changed his life: “I went from not leaving my bedroom to traveling across the country. I couldn't have done it without the help of the workforce program.”
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How WDB helped Anthony Mendez transform his life
“It was pretty easy,” Mendez said. ”First, they had me go on their computers. I signed on to CalJOBS (the state-run job listings service), and a couple days later, was scheduled to take three workshops.”
Once he filled out his resume, Mendez was interviewed by a Workforce Development representative, who was able to secure the financing to pay for truck-driving school. His advice to job seekers: Visit one of WDB’s three America’s Job Centers of California.
“I can’t count how many times someone has gone out of their way for me, that that was certainly the case with Workforce,” he said.
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Latest Labor Market Intelligence Report |
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SB County unemployment drops to 6.6% as hiring surges |
Jobless rate now at its lowest level since before the pandemic |
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Employers in San Bernardino County hired more than 11,000 workers in September as the labor market reached its strongest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The County’s unemployment rate dropped a full percentage point – to 6.6% – while the number of jobs jumped to 914,000.
Unemployment in the county is now at its lowest level since March 2020. Phil Cothran, WDB Chairman, notes that the county has now recovered 86% of jobs lost during the early months of the pandemic – well above the state average of 63%.
“We are a destination for workers and businesses, and are in a unique position to create broad economic prosperity in what is a fiercely competitive marketplace. Through our America’s Job Centers of California and the support of our Business Services team, WDB plays a critical role in driving that growth and creating new opportunities for our residents and employers,” Cothran said.
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A strong workforce = a strong global economy |
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Phil Cothran, Chair
San Bernardino County WDB
We typically frame the value of a job in individual terms – the impact it can have in transforming someone’s life and securing a better future for their family. That’s as true today as it has ever been, but we’re also vividly reminded how important jobs are, more broadly, to a community, a region and the global economy.
Consider what we’re experiencing right now with the supply chain – product shortages, shipping delays and rising prices. There are a variety of reasons for this – none more talked about than the challenges that manufacturers and shippers are having in filling critical jobs.
At WDB, we’re working closely with employers and business groups to address those challenges, and develop strategies to ensure that we’re building a pipeline of workers to meet their needs well into the future. Stay tuned to this newsletter, and follow our social media platforms, for updates on those efforts.
On a personal note, I would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. It's an honor to serve as your WDB Chair, alongside a dedicated group of board members and a workforce staff committed to improving economic opportunities and the quality of life for all of San Bernardino County.
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When I was a sophomore in high school, I was hired to write a weekly column for the South Ontario News. My job was to collect various feel-good stories from around the community, everything from which Scouts achieved rank advancements to who won employee-of-the-month recognitions to unusual vacation adventures or encounters with celebrities. I couldn’t believe the editor had taken a chance on a 14-year-old writing on deadline for the front page so I took my role very seriously, calling people for interviews, sorting through press releases, typing assiduously on an old typewriter, and having my mom drive me to the newspaper office every Friday afternoon to drop off my column. I earned $1 per column inch and while that wasn’t much for the time I devoted, the experience taught me about talking to lots of new people, getting to know my community, and meeting deadlines, all skills that have been invaluable throughout my career. |
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WDB hosts free virtual seminars throughout the week to help job seekers on topics such as interviewing skills, resume building and navigating the employment resources available during the pandemic. If you know of anyone who could use this valuable assistance, a calendar of upcoming sessions is available here.
In the meantime, here are some upcoming events and release dates.
Thursday, November 19: California EDD releases its October jobs report.
Friday, December 5: Bureau of Labor Statistics releases November U.S. jobs report.
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For archived videos of our free Business Services webinars, such as this one on conflicts and behavior in the workplace, click here.
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Click here to catch up on past editions of Workforce Update, WDB’s monthly e-newsletter and labor market intelligence report.
If you know others who would like to receive this timely and important information, please invite them to join our mailing list at info.workforce@wdd.sbcounty.gov.
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