by Veronica Mackey
The glitz and glamour of Hollywood is the proverbial carrot stick that draws people to Los Angeles from around the world. The obvious wealth of the city, with its celebrities and fancy cars, can make it appear that money literally falls from the L.A. skyline. But as Jan Perry knows full well, economic success is a planned result. It happens when leaders have the will, vision, tenacity, and resources to create a strong, healthy local economy. That means a vibrant workforce of well-trained men and women of all ages, cultures, education levels, and backgrounds.
Jan Perry is General Manager of the Los Angeles Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD), who leads an agency of 168 employees. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti selected Perry to run EWDD shortly after his election in 2013—the same year she left the Los Angeles City Council due to term limits. With a 12-year track record as a councilwoman leading the “Great Ninth District,” one of the largest, most culturally and economically diverse areas of L.A., Perry was a natural fit to run EWDD.
While in office, she led major projects which significantly transformed the landscape and improved the local economy from South L.A. and Little Tokyo to the downtown business district. Known for her ability to successfully revitalize neglected neighborhoods, she led catalytic projects such as L.A. Live, Our Lady of Angels Cathedral, and the new Police Administrative Building. More than 1,000 units of supportive housing were developed to shelter the homeless and people suffering from mental illness and substance abuse under her leadership. At the same time, she brought in $15 million in investment, $40 million in new tax revenue for the City of Los Angeles, and an estimated 90,000 full-time jobs. Today, Downtown L.A. is becoming one of the most desirable and sought-after residential and commercial destinations in the nation.
Long before she took over EWDD, Perry was passionate about making employment opportunities equally accessible—for the college educated to ex-convicts and at-risk youth.
“I was very keen in making sure people were hired from South L.A., Pico Union and East L.A,” she said. “We’ve made deeper connections to getting at-risk people back to work. Federal funding has been one of the most strategic ways to get people retrained. Employment Workforce Centers have a very active re-entry component, and we work actively with the Mayor’s Office to assist people in expunging their records, getting up-to-date training and advocating for people who come through the criminal justice system.”
Through partnerships with local government, small businesses, and nonprofits, EWDD is working to create employment opportunities for those whom society has written off as “unemployable.” EWDD provides a broad range of programs offering assistance to businesses, job seekers, and disconnected youth. The department, through its contractors, runs 16 WorkSource Centers and 14 Youth Source Centers in areas of high unemployment. EWDD also administers nine Business Source Centers offering entrepreneurs informational workshops, access to capital, and help with loan packages. The department assists with microloans and small business loans. Real estate experts on staff help position city-owned properties for economy-boosting development.
“We post a lot about expungement centers,” Perry said. “We are administering a grant for a program called LA:RISE. It focuses on the development of social enterprises.”
One of EWDD’s partners is Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit that provides resources to former gang members, substance abusers, and domestic violence victims, to redirect their lives and find gainful employment. More than a resource for employment, EWDD is in the redemption business—restoring positive self-image and dignity that comes with being a productive member of society. Offering a hand up to the formerly incarcerated and downtrodden is an important component in the overall mission of growing and improving L.A.’s economy while building a well-trained and job-ready workforce.
EWDD is working to meet L.A.’s workforce demands for today and tomorrow. Perry said the push now is to get more women involved in technology.
“We sponsor Girls Who Code, so they can go and get jobs in the higher paying tech industries,” she said.
EWDD is also working to meet the challenges brought on by an older workforce.
“Our senior population is living longer,” Perry said. “They either need to keep working or go back to work. That is going to be a very, very big issue—how to balance that group against Millennials without pitting those two groups against each other. We’ll need to figure out how both groups are able to work.”
The proliferation of Boomers in the workforce has expanded the demand for workers in careers related to healthcare and aging. This is good news both for older people who need healthcare services and those who still want or need to work. Another growing industry, Perry said, is culinary arts.
“It allows one to be part of a growing industry, to work in hotels and restaurants or start your own business with a mobile food truck. You can get steady employment and control your destiny.”
She added,
“Careers in advanced engineering, mathematics, and high-tech industries are in demand, as well as opportunities in transportation, which connects to jobs in the retail sector, and that goes along with housing.”
Although methods have changed to finding employment, Perry says old-fashioned initiative and enthusiasm are still impressive to potential employers.
“It’s important to show the employer that you care enough that you did your research and understand the organization, and nature of the job,” she said. For more information about EWDD, call 213-744-7300 or visit ewddlacity.com
