California Service Corp wants Long Beach workers

The government organization offers paid positions that help build resumes for City jobs.

Public officials held a press conference Thursday morning outside the Long Beach Civic Center to encourage residents to take advantage of government-provided work experience programs.

“We are investing in you to create change, to create the kind of change that you want to see, that you can be part of […],” said Josh Fryday, Chief Service Officer of California Volunteers. “And now we just need you to step up.”

The California Service Corp is looking to hire hundreds of paid workers from Long Beach for its four programs:

• CollegeCorps – Full-time college students work at nonprofits, schools and public agencies for one school year.
• California Climate Action Corp – Adults looking to work in the climate sector will gain up to 11 months of work experience with educational institutions, public agencies, nonprofits and tribal communities.
• Youth Job Corps – People between the ages of 16 and 30 from underserved communities will gain job experience from working with public agencies and nonprofits.
• AmeriCorps California – Adults from all backgrounds will gain work experience at nonprofits, public agencies and educational institutions.

Mayor Rex Richardson also said the City was looking at creating legislation that would prioritize the hiring of previous California Service Corp and Long Beach Public Service Corp fellows for City jobs. 

The City of Long Beach launched its Public Service Corp in November 2023, in partnership with the California Service Corp and local nonprofit Pacific Gateway. Its inaugural group of nearly 50 students and recent grads from Long Beach City College, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Dominguez Hills will be placed in various positions across ten departments, where they will be paid while getting hands-on experience for long-term careers in public service.

Richardson called public service experience “life-changing,” and explained how his career in the public sphere began at 26 years old with a job in the office of former councilmember Steven Neal in North Long Beach.

“I believe that public service is a gift that we should continue to share with future generations,” Richardson said.

Attendees of the press conference heard from fellows participating in the programs, who shared their experiences and expressed gratitude for the chance to contribute to projects in their communities.

“This fellowship is an incredible opportunity to apply what I’m learning in the classroom to programs that make the city of Long Beach a more equitable place for all its employees and students,” said Crystal Vega, a Public Service Corp fellow pursuing their Master of Public Administration degree at Cal State Long Beach. “I firmly believe there’s a place for everyone in government. Opportunities like this fellowship open doors, creating a pipeline to the public sector and calling young people into a lifelong career in public service.”

For more information about available positions with the California Service Corp, visit californiavolunteers.ca.gov/california-service-corps/.