SAN BERNARDINO>> This past summer, Nick Fiello’s small business, Fastsigns on South E Street in San Bernardino, needed a skilled employee. Although Fiello advertised the job opening in a number of places, finding a qualified candidate proved difficult.
“Anything that has to do with signs, we’ll make it,” said Fiello, whose custom graphics and sign shop has grown in each of the 11 years it has been in business. “The wrong person could get eaten up quick. I needed someone with a specific set of abilities, training and experience.”
That’s where the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (WDB) was able to help. Through its “On-the-Job Training” program, the WDB’s employment center in San Bernardino identified a candidate with the skills Fiello needed. By October, Jose Barriga was training with Fastsigns, and within a month had joined the company as a full-time sign maker.
Fastsigns and their newest employee join a growing list of businesses and individuals in San Bernardino that have found the help they have needed through the East Valley America’s Job Center of California – one of three such centers in San Bernardino County operated by the WDB. The East Valley center, at 658 E. Brier Drive, Suite 100, offers residents a wide variety of free employment services, including on-the-job and vocational training, career planning and counseling, personal coaching, resume assistance and workshops on interviewing and dressing for success.
It’s all part of the WDB’s mission to transform lives and strengthen business – in the City and throughout San Bernardino County. In addition to operating the job centers, the WDB works with partner organizations to provide a multitude of business solutions and career-development services. Leaders from business, labor, education and government comprise the agency’s 19-member board, which works closely with employers to ensure that the County has a well-trained workforce that meets the needs of all industry sectors.
San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales, whose 5th District includes a large portion of the City, said the East Valley job center is critical to supporting a strong, vibrant economy.
“We are deeply committed to serving the City of San Bernardino, and through programs such as this, we’re able to create new opportunities for residents and business owners alike,” Gonzales said.
Reg Javier, the County’s Deputy Executive Officer for Workforce and Economic Development, said the WDB’s efforts in developing and promoting a skilled labor force will help ensure that the City and County take advantage of their tremendous growth potential. In the past five years, the Inland Empire has added 240,000 jobs, making it one of the fastest-growing regions in the state.
“Whether it’s a small business, such as Fastsigns, or a major employer, we’re here to provide the support, training and assistance needed to encourage business growth and drive our economy,” Javier said.
Fiello is a believer, and says he would recommend the WDB’s workforce pipeline to other San Bernardino business owners.
“I would tell them to call down there and see the candidates they have,” Fiello said. “And for anybody looking for a job, I’d say go down there and get the training you need and you will find the opportunity to succeed.”