Seeing that many local workers are stuck in dead-end jobs with low pay and no benefits, parishioners and clergy from over a dozen parishes re-affirmed their commitment to develop new strategies towards middle class employment.

More than 300 parishioners involved with One LA-IAF gathered at St. Paul Church in Los Angeles Nov. 11 to hear about the progress on partnerships between employees, schools offering training opportunities, and employers in need of a highly skilled workforce.

The need to intentionally develop new training strategies that build a bridge to middle class jobs in the Los Angeles region is acute, said One LA leaders.

"In 1970, 52 percent of Los Angeles neighborhoods would qualify as middle income. In 2000 only 28 percent qualify as middle income," noted Father Will Wauters, vicar of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Los Angeles. Many schools, he added, "are not aimed at educating a skilled workforce. At the same time there are good jobs that beg for workers.

"The workforce teams have begun to organize in the congregations and schools, identifying and encouraging members who want to make the sacrifices necessary to train for those higher skilled jobs," said Father Wauters.

That includes Jessica Quiroz from Our Lady of Victory Church in Los Angeles, a single mother working at loading and unloading packages and as a cashier for minimum wage and no benefits.

"I don't want to be there all my life. I want a better life for me and for my daughter," said Quiroz.

She is currently participating in the Career Advancement Academy at East Los Angeles College, with the hopes of one day becoming a registered nurse in the healthcare field currently facing a shortage of qualified nurses. To do so she must juggle her job, parenting time with her daughter, college classes and homework with days that begins at about 4 a.m. and end at midnight.

"Because it's hard for me right now, the support from my family, the parish and the fact that I have made it [in the] class have made it possible. I know that I can make this work because I want to be successful," said Quiroz.

Tony Farias from St. Paul Church in Los Angeles recounted his story of striving to stay out of gangs only to encounter a string of dead-end jobs.

"After high school I had many jobs --- jobs that had no future and there was no progress into higher positions. I was beginning to lose hope," he said.

After going to jail and hitting rock bottom, Farias started going to church and heard the announcement about One LA's effort to match potential employees with a solar company offering jobs with career advancement.

"That message filled me up with faith to keep looking for a job," said Farias who successfully interviewed for a job in construction for the solar industry, describing it as "an opportunity to work for a great company with great benefits and healthcare."

Among the Los Angeles churches participating in developing parish-based workforce teams are Our Lady of Victory, Precious Blood, St. Kevin, St. Paul, St. Thomas the Apostle and Emmanuel Presbyterian. Outside Los Angeles the following participating parishes include Mary Immaculate, Pacoima; Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Sun Valley; San Gabriel Mission, San Gabriel; Santa Rosa, San Fernando; and St. Ferdinand, San Fernando.

Present at the Nov. 11 gathering were officials from the Los Angeles Unified School District Adult Division, the Los Angeles Community College District, SEIU Local 721, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel and others. They pledged to continue to develop training opportunities, identify employers offering middle class jobs and create sustainable pathways that match employees with employers.