The Southern California branch of Goodwill Industries International Inc. is extending a helping hand to the Valley’s struggling teens and young adults through its new YouthSource Center in Panorama City. Launched Aug. 1, the program maintains a full-time staff of counselors, program coordinators and career advisors to assist displaced youth ages 16 to 24 with finding opportunities for employment or education. Most clients are entering alternative schools, have dropped out entirely or have lost their jobs and need help navigating their options, explained Simon Lopez, vice president of workforce and career development at SoCal Goodwill. “The services include anything from coming in and simply taking a personal assessment to see where you are in life to long-term career planning,” Lopez said. The center offers resources for finding job readiness and certificate training programs as well, he added, which can lead to in-demand jobs in hospitality, health care and other industries. If the Panorama City YouthSource Center keeps up with others of its kind, it can expect upwards of 400 youth to come through its doors in the course of a year, Lopez said. While some will simply want to use a computer, others will be looking to take advantage of the center’s services. Eventually, that will hopefully include job placement with local employers, he said. Representatives from the center are in the process of reaching out to area businesses to better understand how YouthSource clients can fulfill their needs. “In workforce development, we take a ‘dual customer’ approach,” Lopez explained. “We’re trying to create (job) opportunities for people, but we also want to serve as a resource for employers.” Businesses that are interested in taking on clients from the center should have strong track records of treating workers with dignity, Lopez said. One of Goodwill’s primary goals is to facilitate job placement for individuals with barriers to employment, such as physical or developmental disabilities. “We want to demonstrate to funders, businesses and communities that those we work with have unique talents,” Lopez said. “We feel that anyone who wants to work can contribute if we’re creative about finding the right connection for them.” In addition to launching the YouthSource Center, SoCal Goodwill also has opened two retail locations in the Valley this summer. The nonprofit held one ribbon-cutting event for its Van Nuys store on June 2 and a second ceremony for its new Pacoima outpost on July 28. Conductor Finalists New West Symphony has narrowed its search for its next music director from six candidates to three, the Thousand Oaks orchestra announced July 28. The contenders will return to the podium for encore performances during the upcoming concert season. Kynan Johns, Fawzi Haimor and Tania Miller will take turns leading the orchestra beginning in January, when Johns will conduct the “Tchaikovsky Pathetique” concert. Miller will lead selections by composers Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt and Antonin Dvorak for the “Virtuoso Tour de Force” performance in May, while Haimor will close out the second phase of the director search with a yet-to-be announced concert at the start of the 2018-2019 season next October. Following completion of the candidates’ encore performances, they will be assessed by a committee comprised of stakeholders including symphony executives, orchestra members, board members and community leaders. The top candidate will begin her or his tenure as music director during the symphony’s 25th anniversary season in 2019. New West Symphony will kick off its 23rd season on Oct. 7 and 8 with a tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month, which will feature a performance by flamenco dancer Suidy Garrido. Other season highlights will include appearances by Hollywood Bowl music director John Mauceri on Nov. 17 and 18, who will conduct a special program to commemorate the 100th birthday of “West Side Story” music composer Leonard Bernstein. The performance will showcase the talents of violinist Pinchas Zuckerman and will take place at Northridge’s Valley Performing Arts Center, which was recently renamed the “Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Arts” in recognition of a $17 million donation by the Nazarian family. Staff Reporter Helen Floersh can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].
