Contra Costa County runs free job centers, called One Stops or America’s Job Center of California, through its Workforce Development Board. Richmond runs its own. They help with the search itself, and some can help pay for training. Here is where they are and what to expect.
The county’s four job centers
From the county Employment and Human Services Department’s list of offices:
- Concord: 4071 Port Chicago Highway, Concord.
- Antioch: 4545 Delta Fair Boulevard, Antioch.
- Brentwood: 281 Pine Street, Brentwood.
- San Pablo: 2300 B El Portal Drive, San Pablo.
Call before you go, since hours and walk-in times vary by center.
RichmondWORKS
The City of Richmond runs RichmondWORKS at 330 25th Street, Richmond (510-307-8014). It offers job search help and referrals, resume preparation, career counseling, computers and phones for your search, skills assessment, vocational training, typing tests, literacy help, and services for dislocated workers and young people. Veterans and military spouses get priority. Read more in our Richmond guide.
What job centers can do for you
- Help with the search: resumes, job leads, computers and printers, and advice from staff.
- Training: job centers run the federal WIOA program, which can pay for job training for people who qualify. Programs such as the Future Build pre-apprenticeship in East County ask applicants to qualify for WIOA.
- Free online courses: the county’s Workforce Development Board offers free online career and technical courses through Metrix Learning.
- Typing tests: many government office jobs ask for a typing certificate. Our typing certificates page lists which centers test, and when.
Before you go
- Bring a photo ID and, if you have one, your resume on paper or a phone.
- Know two or three kinds of jobs you want, so staff can point you to the right leads or training.
- Ask about training funds early. Approval can take time.
Want to start online first? See free job search help on ContraCostaJobs, take a career assessment, or set up a job alert.