JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) is a nonprofit established 43 years ago to help the larger Bay Area community with workforce development needs. Through its Career Pathway programs and partnerships with Bay Area employers in high-growth sectors, JVS is able to connect people to in-demand skills, paid work experience and robust job search skills. There are many jobs in industries like healthcare, financial services, and technology that are left unfulfilled due to the need of technical skills– that’s where JVS comes in with its training programs. JVS serves all members of communities, but frequently sees interest from those that have been unemployed for more than six months, or haven’t been given the education and skills to succeed. They even work with high school students in the San Francisco Union School District to help them with job readiness skills, internships, and certificate programs.
One of the ways JVS recruits clients is by posting about training events through Nextdoor. For instance, JVS teammate Renee will post in her Central Richmond neighborhood when there’s an upcoming training that those in her community may be interested in. And, boy, are they interested!
The success has been astounding. In fact, by posting on Nextdoor over the last year, JVS has been able to reach more than 80 people who needed help in getting specialized workforce training to upskill and advance their careers, and now a dozen of them are in dedicated workforce development programs that will ultimately yield higher-paying and more fulfilling jobs in their community!
“We love working with the Nextdoor community because it’s a great way for us to connect local job seekers with JVS’s skills training programs. Our programs help people in the Bay Area get good jobs, and Nextdoor’s extensive neighborhood network is invaluable,” JVS Chief Program Officer Aimee Durfee told us.
And their clients are appreciative of their work as well. “Performing a job search in a new country is like learning a foreign language. I had a lot to learn and JVS stuck with me until I got a job,” JVS client Devindra shared.
Leave a Comment