Faces of Workforce

Jeniffer Mendiola has had a passion for working with her hands from an early age, influenced by her uncles working in construction. The passion is made clear when looking at her work history, which reflects a pattern of physical if not mobile elements; from emergency medical technician (EMT) to welding and driving for Uber, her career journey took her through various career paths and industries. It was when she received an email from San Diego Continuing Education that she was able to find her way to becoming a certified electrician by way of the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s Construction Career Jumpstart (CCJ) program.

Having spent three decades as a small business owner, managing two salons in Encinitas and downtown San Diego, life threw a curveball at Teresa Koecher. In 2014, she faced a life-altering accident, leaving her physically incapable of working in the same capacity as before and starting her life anew. With the help of friends and her church community, she could pick herself up and change course.

In 2018, after spending 20 years raising her daughters as a stay-at-home mom, Shellie Baxter created Our Genetic Legacy (OGL), a nonprofit educational publishing house focusing on amplifying the voices and stories of People of Color. Shellie used our TechHire program to provide paid work experiences for young female data analysts and drone pilots.

Jose Tamayo is a 23-year-old from National City who has had an eventful journey to finding his passion and career path. Knowing that college wasn’t the right fit for him, Jose decided to explore other opportunities. He participated in the Ocean Discovery Institute as an AmeriCorps intern and later landed an internship through the San Diego Workforce Partnerships.

After struggling with substance use and multiple instances with the justice system, 55-year-old Susan Rivera decided it was time to seek help and change the trajectory of her life.

46-year-old Lamont Burns had never held a full-time job. His little work included an on-call dishwasher, and it had been five years since he held that job. Lamont relied on the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) he received to support himself. After being connected to our Ticket-to-Work and Self Sufficiency (Ticket) program–a federal program designed to provide SSDI beneficiaries help to enter and maintain employment­­–Lamont was finally able to secure a full-time job and reach a goal he had long strived to achieve.

26-year-old Jessica Osorio is one of the first graduates of the Healthcare Administration Pathways program, a three-month accelerated training towards a specialized certificate in the healthcare revenue cycle. After three years of staying home to care for her two kids,

Sticky Digital is a startup digital marketing agency that helps its clients build brand loyalty through innovative emails and personalized messages. When their business started to grow, one of the founders and current chief revenue officer, Nicole Glock, contacted the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s business engagement team for help with hiring and training new employees.

24-year-old Michael Lane was facing hard times. He was living out of his car, jobless and unsure what to do next. Living on his own with a minimal support system, he spent a lot of his free time at his local YMCA, where he would shower and work out to decompress. There, he got connected to the H.I.R.E program and began receiving the support he didn’t even realize was possible.

After struggling with her own behavioral health and substance use, Anaisa Flores got connected with the Workforce Partnership’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Counselor Training program. With 315 hours of education completed, Anaisa tells about her plans for certification, graduate school and why lived experience is a strength, not a weakness.