Community leaders and elected officials gathered on Feb. 11 for a special event celebrating the many accomplishments of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Career Center, located in the heart of downtown at the San Diego Central Library. The Career Center—the newest addition to San Diego County’s network of America’s Job Center of California locations—has had more than 9,000 visits since it opened in late 2013, and more than 900 individuals have attended comprehensive workshops on subjects including regional labor market information, online job search strategies, personal branding and more.
County Supervisors Ron Roberts and Dave Roberts, Councilmembers Myrtle Cole and Scott Sherman and community leaders celebrated the success of the new center and learned more about the services provided for job seekers and employers throughout San Diego County.
Ron Roberts and Myrtle Cole shared their appreciation and optimism for serving more job seekers in the years to come. As the past and incoming Chair, respectively, of SDWP’s Policy Board, Roberts and Cole help to guide decision-making for funding workforce programs throughout our region.
A theme of thanks resonated throughout the entire evening—for the Career Center staff, for government and community support, and especially for Bank of America. Many noted that the Bank of America’s financial contribution, which was the largest the company had made in the region, is what made the center possible.
Rick Bregman, Bank of America San Diego Market President, expressed his appreciation for the broad support of the center. He mentioned how proud Bank of America employees feel to work for a company grounded in a culture of giving to help make communities better. He explained that this cause was important to Bank of America because the company recognizes the foundational role a job plays in family and quality of life.
Maxine Suka, Program Manager for San Diego Metro Career Centers, pointed out that the career center was purposefully designed to serve those drawn to the hub of the city, including the increased number of people with white and blue collar jobs looking to advance their career. She highlighted the center’s open floor plan, computer workstations and extended evening and weekend hours, all of which create a comfortable and effective environment to meet people from all walks of life “where they are” and connect San Diegans to meaningful careers.
SDWP CEO Peter Callstrom elaborated on the uniqueness that makes the Career Center so effective. “This center is one of a kind in many ways,” he says. “It seamlessly integrates with other library services and is easily accessible via the trolley. It is a shining example of a public-private partnership that truly works.”
Mel Katz, past chair of the San Diego Public Library Foundation, credited the Career Center as a cornerstone for getting the many donors who helped to fund the creation of the Central Library, which now welcomes an average of 3,000 people a day. In addition to the career center, the library houses other services, such as the I CAN! Center for people with disabilities as well as the READ Adult Literacy program, which creates a “one-stop shop” for patrons in need of multiple services.
For more information about the AJCC network or to locate a center near you, visit workforce.org/ajcc.