Job and Career Center
Los Angeles Public Library, Calif.
Innovation Synopsis
The "Job and Career Center," located in the Central Library, is a joint effort between the City of Los Angeles WorkSource Centers and the Los Angeles Public Library to help job seekers. The center helps patrons search for jobs, write resumes, sharpen interviewing skills and consider new professions.
Challenge/Opportunity
Facing continuing high unemployment rates, the city of Los Angeles wanted to facilitate and expedite the provision of services to job seekers. An already well-known workforce development resource, our libraries had become triage centers for patrons desperately looking for help in connecting to the labor market, so this was a natural partnership. The City’s Economic & Workforce Development Department, Workforce Investment Board, WorkSource and LAPL collaborated to develop the "Job and Career Center.
Key Elements of Innovation
Staffed by a full-time WorkSource counselor, the "Job and Career Center" offers the support of the library’s books, media, online resources and reference librarians and utilizes the city’s electronic job portal, www.JobsLA.org, to connect patrons to training and employment. Satisfying a goal of LAPL’s strategic plan to “Contribute to LA’s economic growth,” this center also complements other initiatives such as financial literacy, homeless services and our work with new Americans.
Achieved Outcomes
Since opening in July 2015, we have answered 3,826 patron inquiries about job assistance, and 295 people have enrolled in JobsLA. Every day we help Angelenos with access to counseling, training and clothing in preparation for employment. The "Job and Career Center" has hosted six recruitment events for local employers with more than 250 participants. As a result, LAPL is a trusted source for job seekers, local employers, community organizations and elected officials.