Helping Job-Seeking Veterans

COMMUNITY NEWS

Helping Job-Seeking Veterans

The California Employment Development Department recognizes and honors all military veterans for their service to our country.

While in the military, a veteran gains valuable skills and experience and the EDD is here to help maximize on those gains. The agency, which has an office in Capitola at 2045 40th Ave., offers resources for veterans to meet their career and employment goals to successfully transition from military service to a civilian career.

A recent success story is Andre Samayoa.

A working with fellow veterans following his discharge from the military, Andre Samayoa found himself unemployed in October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to seek help from America’s Job Center of California in Capitola as he began looking for a new job.

“As a veteran, he was referred to the Jobs for Veterans State Grant program, or JVSG, and was assigned to an EDD program representative Amy Vradenburg,” said Alan Burrafato, manager at the Capitola AJCC office.

An assessment determined that Samayoa would benefit from support with resume development, job searching, and mock interview practice.

“Andre was motivated and very focused on finding a job,” said Vradenburg. “He took advantage of all the tools we provided to help him with his job applications and subsequent interviews.”

At the job center, Samayoa also took advantage of labor data available and information on job openings to concentrate his job search around his home in Santa Cruz County.

“The help they gave me was very important in finding a job,” said Samayoa.

He applied for a job at the Service, Employment and Redevelopment Jobs for Progress National, Inc. in Watsonville, a national network of community-based organizations that offers assistance to disadvantaged communities. He was called in for an interview, and was hired in November 2021 as a regional director for their National Farmworker Jobs Program.

Samayoa now oversees staff in Santa Barbara, Imperial, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.

Samayoa partially credits his past experience assisting people in connecting with employment programs and services, but is also very grateful to the Capitola AJCC and its staff for their invaluable assistance, such as providing tips on interviews and preparation on how to answer specific behavioral and situational questions. He said the interview training made a positive impact on his confidence while he was answering questions from upper management during his job interview.

Samayoa is thankful for the “encouragement and counsel” from the center’s program representatives. n •••

Veterans who are job-hunting can call 831-464-6286.

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