Faces of Workforce

When the first UCSD Tech Certificate program cohort launched in July 2019, Chris chose to study Business Intelligence (BI) since he was working in a BI capacity in his position at the time. He was enjoying the work he was doing, though he was feeling limited in his current role.

Simon Eisinger was a participant in TechHire, a movement that aims to level the playing field for tech jobs. Here he tells us about how one of the training programs helped him prepare for employment. 

This year turned Heather Villegas’ life upside down. The unexpected loss of her husband as well as her job and health due to COVID-19 left her struggling to provide for her three children on her own. Hearing about the career centers On-the-Job Training was a turning point for her. Read on as Heather tells her story in her own words.

Prior to joining the Workforce Partnership’s UCSD Tech Certificate program, Ari Emdur was working as a stagehand and wasn’t getting the hours he needed at his job to support his family. He thought the program might just be the perfect way to break into tech. It turns out he was right.

Karen Castro was a participant of TechHire, a movement that aims to level the playing field for tech jobs. Here she tells her story of how the program helped her achieve her employment goals. 

Twenty-two-year-old Gabriel Souza left Curitiba, Brazil just over one year ago. Living in San Diego he expected to learn a new language and adjust to new customs but was surprised with a helping hand and a college scholarship through San Diego Gateway to College and Career (SDG2CC).

Mariia Sirenko knows firsthand the challenges of finding quality work as a creative. After applying for many entry level graphic design opportunities and not getting any responses through sites like Indeed.com, Facebook and Internship.com, she began to feel discouraged.

This Way Ahead has helped many young adults get their foot into the retail world. A program of the San Diego Workforce Partnership supported by Gap Inc., This Way Ahead helps young adults ages 16–24 from low-income communities develop skills for a life-changing

An animal lover, Taylor wanted to become a veterinary assistant. Taylor found out at a job fair that MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute (TCI) offered a certificate-granting program in this field, and staff there and her GenerateHope case manager referred her to Interfaith Community Services’ Transitional Youth Academy (TYA), which funded the vet assistant program, paying for books, supplies and transportation.

After graduating JRT, Juan enrolled at City College, works at the shipyard and looks forward to a career in HVAC. He also has reconnected with his mom, his sisters and his grown son, who now proudly tells his father, “I can talk to my friends about you!”