Veterans’ Employment Assistance Program (VEAP) 2008/09
Award List and Project Summaries

On November 20, 2008, grants were awarded to organizations under the Veterans Employment Related Assistance Program Solicitation.  Project descriptions, award amount, and contact information are listed below.

Award List and Project Summaries

Awardees	County	WIA 15 Percent Amount	WIA 25 Percent Amount	Award Amount
Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc.	San Diego	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP)	Los Angeles	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
Community Career Development	Los Angeles	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
Inter-City Services, Incorporated	Alameda	325,000	325,000	650,000
Motherlode Consortium	Tuolumne	242,865	242,865	485,730
North Bay Resource Center - Vietnam Veterans of CA	Sonoma	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
North County Interfaith Council	San Diego	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
Orange County	Orange	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
San Bernardino Jobs and Employment Services Department	San Bernardino	250,000	250,000	500,000
Solano County	Solano	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
South Bay Center for Counseling	Los Angeles	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
United States Veteran Initiative-Inglewood	Los Angeles	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
Vietnam Veterans of San Diego	San Diego	500,000	500,000	1,000,000
West Hills Community College District	Fresno	396,485	396,485	792,970
Total Amount Recommended		6,214,350	6,214,350	12,428,700

Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc
4283 El Cajon Blvd., Suite 110
San Diego, CA  92105

Elaine Cooluris
(619) 231-5990

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  VetWORKS will target Veterans that are Recently Separated (80%) and those with Service-Connected disabilities (20%).  A comprehensive array of education, technology-based learning, employment and career advancement services will be offered.  Partners include: the LWIA, South County Career Center, South County Economic Council, San Diego Futures Foundation, Department of Rehabilitation, Skillsoft and others. Training will be targeted to occupations in Business; Software and Computer Services; and Medical Services industries.  Training hours vary from 60-720 hours.  Wages range from $12.85 to $25.28 an hour.  Employers include:  Hardtke Construction, PJ Graphics, Front Porch/Fredricka Manor, Family Health Centers of San Diego, Raytheon, Scripps Mercy Hospital, Urda & Company, Arthur Cardoza, University of California San Diego, Vista Community Clinic, Coast Citrus Distributors, Inc., Time-Warner Cable, Western Towing, Cubic Corporation, Marriott Corporation, Staff Por, Inc., Image Staffing, Point Loma Convalescent Hospital, Elite Show Services, W Hotel San Diego, City of Oceanside, San Diego Pride Construction, Sodexso, SeaWorld San Diego, Hilton Bayfront Hotel, Department of the Navy.

Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP)
5318 S. Crenshaw
Los Angeles, CA  90016

Mike Watanabe
(323) 293-6284

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  This project is a comprehensive training and employment program designed to transition 200 veterans into high wage and high growth occupations.  The target area is Los Angeles County.  The strategies for this project include an integrated approach to workforce development composed of education, training, and job preparation linked to economic development; education to facilitate advancements; structured job training to build work experience; supportive services to address barriers; and collaboration with the LWIA and workforce partners to maximize limited resources.  Occupations include computer-related/IT, transportation system technicians and drivers, security positions, business/finance services and health care services.  Annual average salaries of $26,000 up to $101,908.  Employers include JP Electric Company, Express Jet, Volt Telecomp Group, Crime Impact Security, U-Haul, Renzenbers, and Transportation Security Administration.

Community Career Development
3550 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA  90010

Gloria Moore
(213) 805-4273

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  Community Career Development, Inc. will implement a comprehensive Job Training Academy in Los Angeles County for 312 recently separated veterans, spouses and veterans with barriers to employment.  Participants will be placed in high demand/growth occupations with living wages and career advancement opportunity in the law enforcement/security, transportation, logistics/goods movement, and healthcare sectors, with starting wages ranging from $11 - $35 per hour.  The project design integrates supportive services with vocational training conducted by community colleges and vocational schools, with course completion raging from 2 weeks to 6 months.  Employers include Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles Port Police, and PICORE Worldwide Security.


Inter-City Services, Incorporated
3269 Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA  94703

Mansour Id-Deen
(510) 655-3552

Award Amount:  $650,000

Summary:  Inter-City Services (ICS) will serve 144 veterans, 50 percent will be recently separated and 50 percent will be from one of the following groups:  service-connected disabled, campaign, having significant barriers to employment, and eligible spouses.  Our "rapid/response" program design incorporates case/management, outreach, intake, pre-enrollment/assessment, individual employment plan, core/training, job/placement, job/retention/activities and follow/up services.  Target occupations include:  Information Technology Technicians, Healthcare, BioTechs and Construction/Green Tech.  Wage range at placement will be $10.00 to $25.00 per hour.


Motherlode Consortium
19890 Cedar Road North
Sonora, CA  95370

Robert Martin
(209) 533-3396

Award Amount:  $485,730

Summary:  Mother Lode Consortium in a broadened partnership with community organizations will serve 100 Veterans, including 50 recently-separated Veterans in the rural Mother Lode region. Goals of the project: 1) provide transitional guidance, training, work experience and support services leading to sustainable, unsubsidized employment in high-wage high-growth occupations, 2) assist in the obtainment of licenses and certificates that enhance employability, career opportunities and advancement, and 3) promote employer awareness of the benefits of hiring Veterans.  Occupations include heavy equipment operator, truck driver, nursing, correctional officers/jailers, sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, carpenters, electricians, and police/sheriff’s patrol.  Employers are Renewable Technologies and John C. Fremont Healthcare District.  Average hourly range of wages was not mentioned.

North Bay Resource Center - Vietnam Veterans of CA
P.O. Box 378
Santa Rosa, CA  95402

Byron Calos
(707) 578-2785

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  VVC as lead agency, is proposing a regional collaborative in partnership with the North Central Counties Consortium and the Sonoma County LWIB to serve veterans in Sonoma and Lake counties.  The project goals: enroll 200, place 170, and serve 100 (50%) recently separated veterans and 100 veterans with significant barriers.  124 veterans will receive training with an average duration of 4 months in the following occupations; transportation, health services, culinary arts, railroad conductor and law enforcement.  VVC has served veterans’ employment and reintegration needs since 1980.  Employers include Doubletree Hotel, Hired Hands Inc. Homecare, and Robinson Rancheria.  Wages range from $8.43 to $36.45 an hour.

North County Interfaith Council
550 W. Washington Avenue, Suite B
Escondido, CA  92025

Janet Bolosan
(760) 489-6380

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  Interfaith Community Services proposes to provide services to 260 Veterans from the following target groups:  Significant Barriers to Employment; Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities; Campaign Veterans; and Recently Separated Veterans. Services provided will include, comprehensive assessments, transferable skills evaluations, skills upgrade and retraining, vocational training, work readiness classes, financial literacy, housing, and specialized PTSD/TBI treatment.  Job placements will be made in areas of high demand occupations in North County and will provide wages of $35,785-$72,000.  They will include, Security/Loss Prevention, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, Truck Drivers, Computer Support Specialists, Electricians, and Executive Secretaries.


Orange County
1300 South Grand Avenue, Building B, 3rd Floor
Santa Ana, CA  92705

Andrew Munoz
(714) 567-7371

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  The Orange County-Pacific Gateway Regional Veteran Services Collaborative will serve 150 veterans, including 100 recently separated veterans, through a comprehensive approach to address barriers to employment and prepare them for re-entering the workforce.  Comprehensive services, including employment services, training opportunities and social services, will be provided through the collaborative partnership which includes, but is not limited to the Orange and Los Angeles Counties One-Stop Centers, the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, California State University Long Beach, Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, and the Managed Career Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation.  Occupations include:  construction/building trades; allied healthcare/nursing; law enforcement; environmental remediation; utilities/ energy production; transportation/goods movement/logistics; public administration and management; information technology; hospitality/tourism.  Employers include:  Port of Los Angeles; Long Beach Memorial Medical Center; Los Angeles Police Department; Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department; and CRST Trucking.  Average hourly wages range from $15-$30.

San Bernardino Jobs and Employment Services Department
215 North D Street, #301
San Bernardino, CA  92415

Marilyn Trombetta
(909) 387-9819

Award Amount:  $500,000

Summary:  The County of San Bernardino proposes to serve 150 veterans or spouses over an 18 month period, focusing on serving the needs of the Global War on Terror combat veterans in their transition from military status to full participation in the civilian workforce.  Through case management and the collaboration of resources available by community-based and veteran government organizations in conjunction with the partnership agencies within the Workforce Investment System, a holistic approach to assisting the veterans will optimize their opportunities for success.  The $500,000 in Workforce Investment Act funds requested under this proposal will be used to cover the costs of 110 vocational training slots, 40 veterans with direct job placement services, and 150 veterans with supportive services.  15 slots for FAA Airframe or Powerplant licenses will be provided by the Southern California Logistics Airport School of Aviation Technology; 40 slots for diesel mechanics and 40 slots for manufacturing technicians will be provided by San Bernardino Valley College.  These customized curriculums have been developed with local employer input and are based upon national industry standards to address the skill requirements for local job openings.  The County projects that 128 of the veterans enrolled will have obtained employment at entry level wages exceeding $14.00 per hour, 105 will have achieved a credential or license.

Solano County
320 Campus Lane
Fairfield, CA  94534

Robert Bloom
(707) 863-3501

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  The "Vet Link Project" provides a navigable pathway for "recently-separated" and "resident" veterans through skills training leading to employment with local business partners.  Key features include: a) new on-base services at Travis AFB, b) a new "Veterans Navigator"; c) a "warm handshake" reception; d) both soft/hard skills development; and e) direct alignment with recruitment/hiring efforts of partnering employers.  120 will be served; hiring will take place in advanced manufacturing (Anheuser Busch, Clorox, Genentech), health care (Kaiser, Sutter, Northbay), the trades (Ironworkers, Building Trades), and other local industries (future CDCR hospital).  Excellent pay/benefits/career opportunities will be afforded.  Median starting wages from $14 to $33.

South Bay Center for Counseling
360 North Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 2075
El Segundo, CA  90245

Colleen Mooney
(310) 414-2090

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  Los Angeles Initiative for Veterans Employment (LIVE) will recruit, train and place 120 veterans (with an emphasis on recently separated and combat veterans) in high wage, high growth career pathways.  Clients will be offered a tiered service flow process that is tailored to their skills, needs and service history.  Veterans will receive wrap around support services and case management, and academic skill building in a 250 hour bridge to employment community college program.  Placement will occur in sector driven career pathways where employers have committed to hiring qualified LIVE graduates.  Career pathways include the energy industry (average wages $70,000), Teaching ($65,000) and security/law enforcement ($55,000).

United States Veteran Initiative-Inglewood
733 South Hindry Avenue
Inglewood, CA  90301

Greg McCormack
(562) 388-8016

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  The overall purpose of the U.S. VETS VEAP 2008 Program is to develop and implement unique, creative and innovative employment/training related services that enhance and facilitate the rapid re-employment of recently returning veterans.  It is also designed to accelerate the recently returning veteran’s ability to utilize the valuable experience obtained during military service, to transition to civilian employment in high demand occupations.  The number of participants to be served will be 600. Veterans with technical skills and training via the military will be transitioned to occupations in the information technology and healthcare industries.  Additional occupations needing short term training or OJT with wages ranging from $12 - $20 include; office clerk, administrative assistant, customer service, sales representative, shipping clerk, truck driver, front-line supervisor, and bank tellers.  Employers include:  Taurus Engineering, PRIDE Industries, and PV Jobs.

Vietnam Veterans of San Diego
4141 Pacific Highway
San Diego, CA  92110

David Siegler
(619) 393-2077

Award Amount:  $1,000,000

Summary:  Vietnam Veterans of San Diego (VVSD) proposes to continue operating our successful VEAP Project for Veterans in Metro San Diego.  50% of participants will be recently separated veterans, and the other participants will include service-connected disabled veterans, campaign vets, and veterans with significant barriers.  These barriers range from homelessness to addiction to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to veterans requiring transferrable skills upgrade.  VVSD will place at least 200 eligible veterans into jobs with starting wages of at least $12 per hour.  These wages will increase to over $13 within six months of their hire date. Occupations include security, data processing and medical disciplines.  Employers include Pacific Eagle, Allied Barton, and Pacific West Security, Sloan Electric, Neal Electric, and San Diego Electrical Training Trust, National Steel and Ship Building, Pacific Tanks, Pacific Ship and Sipco, US Express Enterprises, Hyatt Regency Marina & Spa, Courtyard Marriot, and the Sheraton San Diego.

West Hills Community College District
9900 Cody Street
Coalinga, CA  93210

Carole Goldsmith
(559) 934-2131

Award Amount:  $792,970

Summary:  West Hills College District, partnering with Fresno and Kings County WIBs, provides unmatched comprehensive employment assistance and vocational training opportunities for 70 veterans in this rural region.  The largest naval air base in rural Central California, Lemoore Naval Air Station (NAS), is located between the two West Hills’ colleges.  The Lemoore NAS reports that 1,574 veterans were recently honorably discharged. Rural high wage, high job demand career training requested by veterans and offered through this VEAP program include: Psychiatric Technician, Correctional Officers, Truck Drivers and Maintenance Mechanics. These careers will enable veterans to maintain a quality standard of living. Wage ranges from $15 to $27 per hour.  Employers include Coalinga State Mental Hospital, Department of Corrections, Community Medical Centers, St. Agnes Hospital, Floway Pumps, Inland Star Distribution and CA Overnight Transit.