Welcome to the Employment Development Department

Promising Practices
California’s Workforce Services Spotlight

Youth

Archdiocesan Youth Employment (AYE) Services of Catholic Charities, Inc. - Los Angeles, CA
Successful Practice:
This project provides outreach and recruitment to 160 younger and older youth, providing training and workshops pertaining to opportunities within the allied healthcare industry. AYE collaborated with Pierce College and five San Fernando Valley WorkSource Centers to recruit, screen, enroll and train candidates.

AYE and Pierce College worked with a local employer, Health Net, to develop customized training in customer service. Health Net invested $24,000 to assist with this training. In April 2007, 27 students graduated and over half were hired by Health Net in Customer Service positions earning $14 per hour with full benefits. Health Net and AYE provided additional eight weeks of on-the-job training.

One of the recent graduates had earlier lost her job due to the emotional stress of having a brother shot. She states that the skills and attributes gained in the customer service training at Pierce College are helping her set new goals. She is currently working at Health Net and expects to advance into a management position.

Funding: $720,000 WIA 15%, $80,000 W/P 10%
Workforce Investment Act-Governor's 15 Percent Discretionary Fund, Wagner-Peyser 10 Percent

Partners:
AYE, Pierce College, American Career College, Los Angeles City College, San Fernando Valley WorkSource Centers and HealthNet, Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Vincent Medical Center.

Contact:
Robert Gutierrez
Archdiocesan Youth Employment Services
Phone: (213) 736-5456
E-mail: Robert@aye-la.org
Web Site: www.aye-la.org