Monrovia Community Adult School hosting open house event on May 13

Monrovia Community Adult School (MCAS) is hosting an open house event on Friday, May 13 at 12:30 p.m. to celebrate its partnership with the LA County Workforce Development Board America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) system.

For years, MCAS has operated a One Stop Career Center that was part of the AJCC system. The open house is celebrating the school’s strong partnership with the County WDB AJCCs which has significantly improved employment services for job seekers and businesses in Monrovia and the surrounding area.

Throughout California, AJCCs provide employment and training services under the authority of the California Workforce Development Board (CAWDB) which is responsible for “performing the duties and responsibilities required by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA),” according to the CAWDB website.

Using WIOA funds, the County WDB AJCC system provides career education, training programs, and support services so job seekers find life sustaining jobs. The AJCC system also offers subsidized wage programs, upskill training programs, employee recruitment services, and many other resources so businesses can hire and retain workers.

Monrovia Community Adult School has partnered with numerous County WDB AJCCs to provide substantial financial aid to its students. In the last four program years, County WDB AJCCs have provided approximately $1 million in tuition for MCAS students to complete Career Technical Education training programs. Enrolling in MCAS training programs at no cost allowed students to earn a license or certification to start a new career without going into debt.

County WDB AJCCs have also assisted Monrovia youth and Monrovia businesses. The Monrovia Youth@Work program provides paid internships to Monrovia youth ages 14-24 and connects these youth to Monrovia businesses. The program goal is for businesses to hire the intern for a full-time position helping the youth get a job and the company meet its labor needs.

One recent development that has strengthened the partnership between MCAS and the County WDB was the City of Monrovia moving into the County WDB service area.

The City of Monrovia submitted a Local Area Modification (LAM) application last year to move the City into the County WDB Local Area. The application was approved unanimously by the California Workforce Development Board (CA WDB) on Feb. 23. One of the reasons the City of Monrovia voted to move into the County WDB Local Area was that data showed the County WDB was already assisting a significant number of Monrovians with WIOA services.

“It was a long journey to move the City of Monrovia into the County WDB, but it will certainly be worth it,” says Council Member Larry Spicer. “I worked hard with all stakeholders to help the move to the County because County AJCCs were providing more services to Monrovia residents and more training funds to the Adult School students,” he added.

This open house is celebrating a bright future for Monrovia residents and MCAS students. Says Council Member Spicer, “Moving the city to the County WDB will better help Monrovia students, businesses, and anyone looking for work. I know being a part of the County WDB will do a lot of good for a lot of our residents for a long time to come.”

You must register to attend the open house and can do so on eventbrite.com.

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