18 Adults Get Permanent Jobs Through City’s Job Placement Program

Eighteen previously long-term unemployed adults have been been given permanent “high road” jobs with “livable” wages and benefits through a city job placement program, according to the public works department.

The newly employed trainees underwent the city’s Maintenance Assistance and Service to Homeowners (MASH) program, which assists their participants with their resumes, interview skills, certification and training.

They were hired to work in the City of Pasadena’s departments of Water and Power, Public Health, City Clerk and Public Works; City of Glendale Parks Department; Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office; State of California Department of Corrections; City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; and private property management firm JLS Real Estate.

MASH job developer Aisha Hickman assisted the trainees with their job applications making them more marketable to employers.

The total number of job placements for the 2013-2014 MASH program has exceeded the average 10 that the training produces yearly.

One of this year’s MASH trainees is Pasadena resident Arvie Johnson who was hired as a full-time maintenance assistant at the Public Works Parks and Natural Resources Division in April 2014.

“The MASH program is a definite way to success,” said Johnson, who worked in the periodical distribution industry prior to his unemployment. “The skills, career development and cross-training that I received were priceless. And I know that if I wasn’t able to use these skills within the City of Pasadena, I would definitely be able to use them elsewhere.”

The other MASH trainees hired this year are Jorge Arias, Israel Miller, Keith McCullough, Donnell Pingarron, Imelda Vasquez, Oscar Alvarado, Jose Meza, Michael Reed, Christopher Calloway, Maricela Meza, Gary Graybill, Derrick Reed, Eduardo Parra, Christopher Cruz, Darryl Glass, Joseph Orense and Rudy Gomez.