[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 35 (Thursday, March 24, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 24, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             CAREER INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTER OF OAKLAND

                                 ______


                         HON. RONALD V. DELLUMS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 24, 1994

  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
bring to the attention of my colleagues the fine work initiated by a 
number of agencies in my district. Particularly, I would like to 
commend the Oakland Private Industry Council for spearheading the 
creation of a partnership of vocational and educational institutions 
dedicated to bringing job training and employment services together in 
a cohesive way to end the fragmentation of services that too often 
exist among training and service institutions.
  This collaboration is called the Career Information Resource Center 
of Oakland [CIRCO] and its mission is to provide a one-stop location to 
which an individual requiring job counseling or training can come to be 
assessed, counseled, and referred to an appropriate job training agency 
or program. The goal is to guide individuals toward occupational 
decisions which will empower them to obtain and retain gainful 
employment.
  The partners in this collaborative effort are the Oakland Unified 
School District, the Employment Development Department, Laney College, 
Merritt College, the city of Oakland, the Department of Rehabilitation, 
the Oakland Private Industry Council, and the Employment Training 
Coalition--a consortium of nearly 50 partners. They have formed a 
governing board, and within the capabilities of each, will provide 
onsite agency representation for career counseling and referral 
services as well as in-kind support.
  My district has witnessed the departure of dozens of major employers 
and the concurrent elimination of hundreds of jobs that are directly or 
indirectly linked to plant shut-closures or cutbacks. This situation 
will be further exacerbated by the impending base closures. This 
dislocated group of job seekers will be added to the ever-growing group 
of at-risk individuals who need basic education, job training, career 
counseling, relevant labor market information and support in order to 
be prepared to reenter the work force successfully.
  Additionally, this consortium seeks to better serve individuals and 
families in poverty, those whose native language is not English, the 
physically challenged, homeless, long-term unemployed, and others with 
multiple barriers to employment opportunities.
  Comprehensive community partnerships, such as the Career Information 
Resource Center of Oakland, will be an important part of the solution 
to the employment crisis in the Oakland Bay Area. The partnership 
exemplifies the concept of One-Stop Career Centers anticipated by the 
Re-Employment Act legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the parties for having the foresight to 
initiate this most important venture.

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