Tierney Center for Veteran Services Selected for Proven History and Success with Veteran Career Assessment and Placement
TUSTIN, Calif. – July 11, 2019 –Goodwill of Orange County announced today a $488,635 grant from the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to help Orange County veterans secure jobs.
The funding is part of EDD’s Veterans’ Employment-Related Assistance Program’s $5 million investment to help approximately 1,200 veterans in California find employment.
“We are honored to be a recipient of this significant funding and to be recognized for the life-changing work we are doing at the Tierney Center everyday,” said Brigadier General Denton Knapp, Director of the Tierney Center for Veteran Services. “With this critically needed financial support, we will be able to expand our career placement offerings and make a sustained difference in the lives of many deserving local veterans and their families.”
As a result of the significant grant, Goodwill’s Tierney Center will help 130 local veterans secure meaningful jobs in booming local industries, with a focus on Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing and Professional Services.
Veteran Navigators will provide personalized career assessments and counseling, vocational training and support services, job workshops and on-the-job training to help every eligible veteran find quality employment suited to their talents, needs and interests.
Goodwill’s Tierney Center was the only organization in Orange County and one of only 11 organizations across the state designated for this special one-time funding. The Tierney Center was selected for its proven history and success training and placing veterans into jobs efficiently and effectively.
In 2018, the Tierney Center placed more than 160 veterans into employment with an average wage of $24.00, and provided more than 771 Orange County veterans with support services and resource linkages designed to enhance their lives.
All services at the Tierney Center are provided to veterans and their families at no cost. With hundreds of community partners and resources in its vast network, the Tierney Center has emerged as a local leader on responding to and meeting any and all veteran needs. Services include employment and career counseling, educational advancement services, housing assistance, healthcare and benefits, legal assistance, financial counseling, and specialized women veterans services.
Grant funding was provided through discretionary funds made available to Governor Gavin Newsom in accordance with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and is administered by the EDD and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
About Goodwill of Orange County
Goodwill helps people who are facing barriers to find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride, and dignity. Founded on the belief that every person should have the opportunity to achieve the independence that work provides, Goodwill is most recognized for being the conduit where donated goods are sold in America’s favorite thrift stores to generate the revenue that provides the services to those who face employment challenges. Goodwill of Orange County, now in its 95thyear, has supported hundreds of thousands of Orange County residents since its inception by creating and providing quality training and employment services to empower its program participants to be productive and independent. The nonprofit organization has dozens of programs that support this effort, including the Goodwill Rogers A. Severson Fitness & Technology Center,Orange County’s only facility specially designed for people suffering from chronic illnesses and physical disabilities; its global approach to serving veterans and their families, Goodwill of Orange County Tierney Center for Veteran Services, which helps former service members and their families find resources and services to meet and serve their unique needs, including housing, job placement, education, and wellness; and its Assistive Technology Exchange Center (ATEC), which provides access to more than 1,000 state-of-the-art technology devices for children and adults with disabilities. These are just a few of Goodwill of Orange County’s innovative programs that have served those facing barriers in Orange County for the past nine decades. To learn more about Goodwill of Orange County, visit ocgoodwill.org.
