West Oakland Job Resource Center

What West Oakland Job Resource Center does

West Oakland Job Resource Center (WOJRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 under the City of Oakland's Local Hire Ordinance to serve as the city's designated First Source provider for local and disadvantaged hiring compliance at the Oakland Army Base. In 2017 the Port of Oakland extended that designation to all Port employers, formally expanding WOJRC's workforce mandate to the broader maritime/port ecosystem. The organization runs an integrated suite of services targeting low- and moderate-income Bay Area residents seeking careers in construction and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL): a three-week TDL Pre-Apprenticeship program (with OSHA 10, Forklift, Class A Permit prep, and HAZWOPER certifications), Construction Services for union-trade navigation and job placement, individual Financial Coaching and Lending Circles (zero-interest social loans up to $2,000), and an onsite Drop-In Wellness Center operated in partnership with Entitled Futures. Weekly orientations every Tuesday at the West Oakland Library serve as the primary intake channel.

The business is funded primarily through grants, donations, and public partnerships — including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program (partially funding Battery Electric Forklift procurement), Prologis (online TDL training modules via logisticscareers.prologis.com), the City and Port of Oakland, and foundations such as the Jamko Foundation. All services are delivered free to job seekers, with no direct pricing model; revenue mechanics sit on the funder side rather than the end-client side. WOJRC operates through a community-led, event-driven go-to-market: weekly orientations, cohort-based pre-apprenticeship training, employer outreach to Port/Maritime contractors, and a partner referral network spanning 28 Building Trades Council unions, re-entry organizations (BOSS, Center for Employment Opportunities), and veteran services (Swords to Plowshares).

Cumulatively through 2018, WOJRC reported $14M in client wages, 95,000 apprenticeship hours, and 300+ clients served in that year alone. Today the organization employs 1–10 staff, operates from a single Oakland headquarters, and is governed by a board led by a former Oakland Workforce Investment Board Executive Director with strong City/Port ties. Strategic posture is best characterized as a high-trust, compliance-anchored community institution extending its service breadth (wellness, online training, electrification) on top of a regulatory moat, rather than a venture-scalable technology platform.

Name

West Oakland Job Resource Center

Legal name

West Oakland Job Resource Center

Website

https://wojrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WOJRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2012, that provides free job training, placement, financial coaching, and wellness services for low- and moderate-income Bay Area residents seeking careers in construction and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) at the Port of Oakland and Oakland Army Base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Employment Services (5613), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• Job training programs
• Apprenticeship placement
• Financial coaching
• Construction trades

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: WOJRC operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded through donations, grants, and public funding partnerships including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Ports Program. The organization also receives funding support from various government and foundation partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

West Oakland Job Resource Center is a nonprofit workforce development organization that provides free job training, apprenticeship placement, and financial coaching to underserved Bay Area residents. It delivers pre-apprenticeship training for Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) and construction trades, places workers with Port of Oakland and Maritime employers under First Source designation, and offers financial coaching, Lending Circles credit-building loans, and onsite mental wellness services.

Product overview

West Oakland Job Resource Center operates as a nonprofit workforce development organization offering an integrated suite of employment training and financial services. The core offerings include TDL Pre-Apprenticeship Training (warehouse and commercial driving preparation with OSHA 10, Forklift, and HAZWOPER certifications), Construction Services (union trade navigation and job placement for Port of Oakland employers), Financial Coaching (credit building and budgeting support), Lending Circles (zero-interest social loans up to $2,000), Onsite Wellness Resource Center (mental health and emotional wellness services via partnership with Entitled Futures), and Weekly Orientations. These services are designed to work together, coupling employment training with financial coaching to build long-term financial security for low- and moderate-income job seekers in the Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TDL Pre-Apprenticeship Training Three-week pre-apprenticeship program preparing job seekers for warehouse and commercial driving positions, including OSHA 10 Safety, Forklift, Class A Permit Preparation, and HAZWOPER Training.
• Construction Services First Source designation assisting Oakland Army Base and Port employers with local and disadvantaged hire goals, including union trade navigation, job placement, and financial assistance with union initiation fees and tools.
• Financial Coaching Individual financial coaching, credit building and repair assistance, savings program enrollment, and monthly financial education workshops covering topics including student loans, homeownership, and small business development.
• Lending Circles Zero-interest social loan program providing up to $2,000 with low monthly repayment payments, designed to help participants build credit scores and develop savings plans.
• Onsite Wellness Resource Center Mental health and wellness support through partnership with Entitled Futures (eF), offering individual and group therapy sessions, emotional wellness coaching, peer mentoring, stress management workshops, and referrals to behavioral health services.
• Weekly Orientations Tuesday morning orientations at 9:30 AM providing introduction to careers in Construction and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics, plus overview of all WOJRC services including assessments and individual coaching.

Quantifiable outcome

• $14,000,000 in wages earned by clients from 2012-2018
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Building Trades Council of Alameda CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 28 affiliated unions representing workers in various construction trades. Partnership supports WOJRC's mission to help job seekers navigate and enroll in union construction apprenticeship programs.
• Tradeswomen, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on outreach, recruitment, retention and leadership development for women in blue-collar skilled craft jobs. Supports WOJRC's goal of placing women in non-traditional construction occupations.
• Cypress MandelacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakland-based organization offering a free 16-week pre-apprenticeship program for Bay Area adults. Training prepares students for skilled construction jobs through hands-on and classroom instruction.
• Rising Sun EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization offering job training and placement for Northern California youth and low-income adults.
• Napa Valley CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution offering vocational programs and student support services that may complement WOJRC training programs.
• Swords to PlowsharescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization helping veterans navigate post-military life, prevent homelessness, and restore self-sufficiency. Supports WOJRC's re-entry and veteran client services.
• East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable EconomyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of labor, community, and faith-based organizations focused on advancing economic, racial, and social justice in the East Bay.
• APEX Maritime TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing maritime training and certifications supporting WOJRC's TDL sector training.
• NCTATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Committee for the Advancement of Training providing job skills training for Teamsters in construction and other industries.
• Self-Help Federal Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCredit union in Oakland providing financial services focused on serving underserved communities and promoting economic empowerment. May support WOJRC's financial coaching services.
• East Bay Asian Local Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit focused on community development in the East Bay, particularly affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.
• Entitled Futures (eF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based mental health organization providing onsite therapy, parent education, and emotional wellness programs. eF operates WOJRC's onsite Drop-In Wellness Center offering sliding-scale services and accepting Medi-Cal and private insurance.
• PrologiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal TDL leader partnered with WOJRC to offer free, online, self-paced training modules providing in-demand skills for the warehouse and logistics industry through logisticscareers.prologis.com.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing free technical skills training and job placement support for adults from underserved communities. Comparable in being a tuition-free, employer-aligned training and placement nonprofit, though focused on IT/tech roles rather than construction and TDL.
• Center for Employment Opportunities: Nonprofit providing employment services specifically for people returning from incarceration, including job placement and retention support. Directly comparable to WOJRC's re-entry client focus and is itself an active referral partner for WOJRC.
• Rising Sun Energy Center: Northern California nonprofit offering job training and placement for youth and low-income adults, with a focus on green economy and energy efficiency careers. Comparable workforce development model serving similar populations, and is an active WOJRC partner.
• Tradeswomen, Inc. Nonprofit focused on outreach, recruitment, retention, and leadership development for women in blue-collar skilled craft jobs. Directly comparable to WOJRC's mission of placing women in non-traditional construction occupations, and is an active WOJRC partner.
• Helmets to Hardhats: National nonprofit connecting veterans to registered apprenticeship programs in the construction industry. Directly comparable career-pathway model — pre-apprenticeship into union construction — with a narrower veteran-only population focus.
• Cypress Mandela Training Center: Oakland-based nonprofit offering a free 16-week pre-apprenticeship program for Bay Area adults preparing for skilled construction jobs. Most directly comparable peer — same geography, same target population, and same construction pre-apprenticeship model — and is also an active WOJRC referral partner.
• Swords to Plowshares: San Francisco-based nonprofit serving veterans with employment, housing, and supportive services. Comparable to WOJRC's veteran client services focus and is an active WOJRC referral partner for re-entry and veteran populations.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Large national nonprofit operating workforce development, job training, and placement programs across multiple industries and geographies. Broader in scope and scale than WOJRC, but serves a similar mission of placing low-income and barriered individuals into employment.
• Job Corps: Federal residential workforce training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor serving low-income young adults. Overlaps with WOJRC's target population and vocational training mission but operates at much larger national scale as a government program.

Regional players

• BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency): Berkeley-based nonprofit providing housing, reentry support, and employment services for people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and incarceration in Alameda County. Comparable target population and regional footprint but broader social services scope rather than focused on construction/TDL placement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wojrc_ca
• Facebookfacebook.com/wojrc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wojrc
• Instagraminstagram.com/westoakland_jrc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West Oakland Job Resource Center