The campus of Los Angeles Southwest College hosted an employment fair today targeting job seekers looking for career opportunities in homeless services and related fields. The event brought together nearly 60 employers looking to fill more than 1,200 open positions in homeless services and complementary opportunities working in mental health, career development, and other prevention services for at-risk individuals. Nearly 700 job seekers were in attendance.
Many of the positions available today were partially funded in Los Angeles County by the 2017 voter approved Measure H that raised the sales tax by one-quarter of a cent to ramp up efforts to end homelessness.
“Los Angeles Southwest College is honored to play its part in helping these all-important agencies find the critical resources and support they need to aid our homeless community,” said Los Angeles Southwest College President Dr. Seher Awan. “I’m truly appreciative of all of the work being done by Mayor Garcetti’s Office as well as city and county agencies to lead this effort and look forward to being their partners for years to come or until the homelessness crisis in our communities is fully addressed.”
The event marks the fourth hiring fair of its kind since Mayor Garcetti and other City and County leaders held the first-ever Homeless Services Provider Job Fair at Los Angeles City Hall in December 2017. This job fair series has amplified regional efforts to connect service providers to the necessary staff to scale up their response to the homeless crisis. To date, more than 1,500 positions in homeless services in the County have been filled since the first job fair a year ago.
“We need committed and compassionate professionals on the front lines of our fight to end homelessness — that’s why we’re hiring thousands of Angelenos to be a part of bringing our unhoused neighbors indoors,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Everyone hired through this job fair will play a big role in keeping vulnerable Angelenos from falling into homelessness, and helping people who are living on our streets find their way home.”
“Homelessness remains the biggest challenge facing our county and today’s job fair put us in the best position to end homelessness as we know it. It also allows us to tackle the lack of access to quality jobs for communities that need it the most,” said Los Angeles Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. “I am proud to be a part of an event that will make a real difference.”
Positions available at the event included case managers, outreach workers, housing navigators, supervisors, job developers, mental health specialists, and others openings in prevention services. Attendees were able to take advantage of resources onsite to review and edit their resumes, participated in on-the-spot interviews, and were connected to additional local services.
Today’s job fair was led by the Office of Mayor Garcetti, in partnership with Councilmember Harris-Dawson’s Office; Los Angeles Southwest College; Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority; Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative; and United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Additional partners include the City’s Workforce Development Board and Economic and Workforce Development Department; the County’s Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services; and CSU5, comprised of the five California State Universities that serve the greater Los Angeles region.
To apply for an open position in the homeless services field: https://www.lahsa.org/jobs. For help writing or reviewing your résumé, practicing your interview skills, or finding an employment opportunity, visit the Los Angeles WorkSource System: Job Readiness Center Locator
