EL CENTRO — Local employers and service providers gathered at the MLK Jr. Pavilion in El Centro on April 23 for a county-wide career and resource fair, connecting community members with job opportunities and support programs.
Margarita Romero, a job development specialist from Options For All, spoke with the Imperial Valley Press about the organization’s mission to support individuals with disabilities-ranging from physical to emotional and mental—in overcoming barriers to employment.
‘We have traditional services where we assist individuals in doing job applications, building resumes, and preparing for interviews. But we also connect them to employers, provide letters of recommendation, things like that,” she said.
Romero described their paid internship program in partnership with the San Diego regional Center.
“We provide a paid internship of a full year at 20 hours per week. And we partner with different agencies and businesses for our clients to participate and do their paid internship for the full year. And they have the opportunity for permanent employment after the paid internship,” Romero explained.
She also outlined a new student service in partnership with the Department of Rehabilitation.
“We provide contracts of 900 hours, which is about 100 hours per month. So that’s about nine months of work experience for students, 16 to 21,” Romero said. Some of the students are in high school, and some are in college. The only requirement is that they have a disability, which includes anxiety and depression diagnoses.
Romero said the job opportunities vary widely depending on the client’s interest, ranging from welding to retail to creative writing.
“So we have partners where it could be a nonprofit. We actually have a partnership right now with the Small Business Development Center. And we have a client there who does writing. And I think some of his work actually has been published at Imperial Valley Press before. And then, obviously, we have a lot of restaurant work experience that they want to complete. We have office work. We have just about everything. Electricians, plumbing, everything.”
Denise Ortiz from the Imperial County Office of Education spoke about their work with students with special needs and those in alternative education.
“We’re here today, and I believe they are recruiting people with disabilities. In fact, our organization works with students with moderate and severe disabilities. And then we also have an alternative education program for students who did not succeed in high school. But we also have the SELPA program, which assists students who are in high school. They place them at businesses here in our county to find employment and to help them transition from the services they were receiving in high school to transition them to be able to work out here in the public.”
Claudia Flores from Geo Secure Services, which oversees the El Centro Detention Facility, described several open roles.
“We offer administrative positions and officers and nurses,” she said. “For the officer positions you don’t need any experience, so you can apply. You can apply through the web, or you can apply through Indeed.”
Other employers at the event included Goodwill and Dillard’s, each seeking applicants for various openings.
Resource booths offer support and clinical trials
Several organizations were also on hand offering resources beyond employment. Innercare and Behavioral Health Services staffed tables to provide information and support.
Dr. Hurtado of Sun Valley Research Center Inc. was on hand with Vanessa, who shared that the clinic is conducting several clinical trials.
“For depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and migraine. We have one for ADHD for 4–5-year-olds,” she said.
The Donnelly Center promoted its free youth summer program, which runs from June 16 to July 17.
CEO Rosa Diaz shared, “We are now enrolling from June 16 to July 17. There will be a class on youth anger management, and we also will have many activities. They will learn sign language and self-defense. We are inviting agencies to come and talk about their services.”
“The kids will learn teamwork and military discipline,” she added. “At the end of the five weeks there will be a graduation.”