Faces of Workforce

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.

Accessing On-the-Job Training funds allows local manufacturer, FutureStitch, to invest in the surrounding community, hiring and training formerly incarcerated women. Rather than just aiming for a higher bottom line, FutureStitch measurements of success include employee happiness, retention and reduction in recidivism. Read on to learn how they do it and why it matters.

Jose Mendiola reached a point where he knew he had to change his life. After working with our partners at South Bay Community Services (SBCS), Jose obtained the financial and skill-building support he needed to land a higher-paying job in the career field he is passionate about.

After years of exploring different jobs and never experiencing any true satisfaction, Emily Hennes became frustrated with her career. When faced with losing a previous position, she worried more about losing a stable income than the job itself. Her career pathway changed after receiving an email about one of our information & communication technology training programs.

Uche Uzo is currently working towards becoming a certified substance use disorder counselor. As a mother of three with a deployed husband, Uzo shares with us what it truly means to be of service to others.

Raven Antiquiera has always had a passion for technology but never considered turning his hobby into a career. When he learned about our CyberHire program, Raven made the decision, which he calls life-changing, to apply and obtain a desktop technician certificate.

Betty Harvey worked for the same tourism company for 18 years. When she found out her hours were being cut she had to consider wether to stay in her current role or move on to something different. After attending a learning event at her local library hosted by the San Diego Workforce Partnership she found the courage she needed to move on and start a new career.

After Hamed Seyedi was let go from his director position of 15 years, he decided to continue his education and earned a digital marketing certificate as a part of the Workforce Partnership’s continuing education program offered in partnership with UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies.

Robert Stocking wanted to take his real estate building compliance career to the next level and joined the Construction Career Jumpstart (CCJ) program. Our marketing team spoke with Robert to learn about his experience and what his favorite part of the program was.