We Change Lives Together

Founded in 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression, the legacy of today’s JVS SoCal began with a single desk in a Bunker Hill office in downtown Los Angeles, serving job seekers who were struggling to survive amid overt workplace discrimination.

Nine decades later, the agency is a recognized regional leader in the field of workforce development, offering a broad range of innovative programs to tens of thousands of individuals each year and advocating on issues of public policy that impact the people we serve.

Today, more than 240 skilled and dedicated staff members deliver services from over 20 sites throughout Los Angeles County and surrounding areas, assisting tens of thousands of clients each year.

JVS SoCal means Jobs. Vision. Success.

JVS SoCal embraces diversity and creates pathways to equality. We foster and sustain a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our commitment is to ensure all stakeholders have access to resources and opportunities to develop, contribute and grow.

Our Mission

Empowering individuals to achieve dignity and economic independence through sustainable employment.

Our Vision

Thriving communities with hope and economic opportunity for all.

Our Values

Respect for individuals and families

Integrity and professionalism in all our interactions

Principled advocacy on behalf of those we serve

Collective and collaborative stewardship

Commitment to uplift communities and serve those in need

JVS SoCal Points of Distinction

Career Training

Since their launch in 2006, our four JVSWorks® tuition-free career training programs have placed over 2,500 graduates—with a combined 81% placement rate. At an average starting salary over $40,000, aggregate graduate earnings are well over $100 million annual. This represents a 588% social return on investment.

veteran services

JVS SoCal operates California’s only Veterans AJCC (America’s Job Center of California) at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in downtown Los Angeles. JVS SoCal was awarded the U.S. Department of Labor’s HIRE Vets Gold Medallion in 2019, 2020 and 2021 for its commitment to Veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. The JVS Veterans First program has been recognized with the prestigious Seal of Distinction by Activision/Blizzard’s Call of Duty Endowment.

RESPONDING TO NEW CHALLENGES

In 2020, JVS SoCal responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing online learning platforms and curriculum to continue training and prevent interruption of services to our clients; and it increased its training of entry-level Certified Nursing Assistants and Administrators to address the demand for healthcare workers.

immigrants and refugees

Since 1931, JVS SoCal has helped immigrants and refugees from around the world. From German and Shanghai immigrants at the end of WWII to Cuban refugees in the 1970’s and Soviet Jews in the 1980’s, followed by Cambodians, Vietnamese and those impacted by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2022, we are assisting Afghan refugees and their families.

Scholarships

Celebrating its 50^th Anniversary in 2022, the JVS Scholarship Program has awarded over $11.7 million in need-based scholarships to 5,200 Jewish college students attending schools and universities throughout the world.

AMERICA’S JOB CENTERS OF CALIFORNIA

JVS SoCal operates four AJCCs (America’s Job Center of California) in total in West L.A., Lancaster, Palmdale, and South Los Angeles, and in 2021 our Antelope Valley AJCC was named the #1 performing AJCC in Los Angeles County.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

In 2022, the JVS SoCal Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) celebrated the 10th Anniversary of its Woman to Woman Conference, having raised over $5M in critical funding to support women in career crisis and transition.

disability services

JVS SoCal’s Grossblatt Skills Assessment Center is the only facility in Southern California offering full job skills evaluation services to individuals who are blind and visually impaired and is accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

Impact on People

Last year, we provided life-changing services to tens of thousands of people, offering hope and opportunity through job training, career-building skills and access to resources through our network of community partners, empowering them to achieve sustainable employment. Factoring in the individuals who accessed one of our sites by attending an orientation or using our computer centers, JVS SoCal impacted close to 50,000 in 2017.

Our services are offered at the America’s Job Centers/WorkSource Centers we operate in West L.A., the Antelope Valley and downtown Los Angeles at Patriotic Hall; through L.A. County GAIN, GROW and REAS for people transitioning from public assistance to the workplace, and in our range of innovative donor-supported programs.

Transformation Starts here

Gabriel received Class A Driving training through the AJCC/WorkSource Center to get a well-paying job.

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Impact on Southern California Economy

Though the immediate goal of our work is to assist people to move from unemployment or chronic underemployment to a living wage, the long-term effect is that they are able to contribute to their communities, helping to stimulate and grow the local economy.

As regional leaders in the field of workforce development, the agency has been recognized by Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles City Council, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors and by the Los Angeles Business Journal for our award-winning job training and employment programs and our contribution to the economic health and wellbeing of Southern California.