Services › Workforce Development

About the Center

The center has provided employment assistance to Southeast Asian and other refugees since 1975 and and is still an integral part of services offered by PACE. The program uses a coordinated approach that considers employer and job seeker needs. The Center assists public assistance recipients faced with multiple barriers by securing their first jobs so that they may begin to move toward economic self-sufficiency. Continued support, case management, basic skills and vocational skills training are then provided so that participants in the program move up career ladders and increase their earning potentials to support their families.

Program Descriptions:

1. Los Angeles County Specials Needs Program

This program targets those low-income individuals, including CalWORKS who are non-English and non-Spanish speaking former refugees or immigrants. In assisting them to become non-dependent of public aides, this program places an emphasis on "workplace learning" in the manufacturing and service sectors. Eligible clients will be placed in On-the-job training activity with employers and employers will receive subsidies in wages during the training period. In addition, training in workplace English, remediation in basic skills and support services will be offered to the clients, including referrals to local WorkSource Centers for vocational training, entrepreneurial training, and other voucher training program. These services are limited to those eligible clients residing in the Los Angeles County Supervisorial District 1 and 2.

Information for Interested Employers

The center provides services and certain benefits to employers at no cost them. These services include the following:

• Select, recruit and pre-screen job applicants to meet employers’ workforce needs at no cost to them; including access to those graduated from various vocational schools;
• Reduce employer advertising cost in help-wanted area;
• Reduce employer hiring and training costs;
• Receive up to 50% of wage reimbursement of welfare-to-work participants hired under the OJT (On-the-job Training) program; please inquire about meeting the criteria for OJT;
• Receive free workforce from our Work Experience Program for up to 300 hours per welfare-to-work participant assigned to employers to gain experience and vocational training;
• Receive wage and labor market information;
• Access to technical assistance and loan services from PACE’s Business Development Center (bdcinfo@pacela.org);
• Access to Federal and California State Tax Credit programs, i.e., Work Opportunities Tax Credit and Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit. (California State Employment Development Department: http://www.wtwemployers.cahwnet.gov/)

2. Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) Community Rehabilitation Program

PACE Community Rehabilitation Program provides employment services for those 'job -ready" individuals referred by DOR Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors. These individuals may have several other characteristics: ethnic Asians who have limited English proficiency; requiring cultural and language appropriate assistance in employment services; and other employment barriers. These services include employment preparation, job development, and placement, job coaching and follow-up services. These services will be primary provided at PACE Headquarters' location and at PACE's field office in the City of El Monte.

3. South Bay Workforce Investment Board Subsidized Training Employment Program.

This program provides transitional subsidized employment/paid work experience, on-the-job training, education and employment training (classroom), and supplemental social services to CalWORKs participants to secure unsubsidized employment in career ladder employment. These will be carried out at PACE Headquarters' location and at PACE's field office in the City of El Monte.

Key Contact Person at the Center

Albert Sy Work, Opportunity Director (213) 989-3151