A WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT BOARD
SOUTH BAY WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD
Meet Karla P. Barba-Mora - Lawndale
Workforce Challenge:
Karla P. Barba-Mora, 39, of Lawndale, worked as a Marketing Manager for Aerovias de Mexico SA de CV at LAX when she was terminated in April 2013. Her husband had also recently been laid off from his job so the
couple found themselves having to rely on unemployment insurance and public assistance to provide for their family. Facing financial hardships, Mrs. Barba-Mora decided to attend a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) information session at the Inglewood One-Stop in search of assistance. Mrs. Barba-Mora expressed an aspiration to one day own her own beauty shop, but she would first need to obtain her license as a cosmetologist.
Workforce Solution:
Mrs. Barba-Mora successfully completed all program requirements and during her one on one appointment with her case manager, was deemed eligible to receive funding for training under the WIOA Adult Program. She was very excited because she knew she would be able to achieve her first short term goal- obtaining her
cosmetology license. Mrs. Barba-Mora navigated the list of approved vocational schools on I-TRAIN and selected the
International Academy of Cosmetology located in South Gate, CA.
Outcome and Benefits:
Upon completion of her classroom training, Mrs. Barba-Mora worked alongside the job development team at Inglewood One Stop and regularly attended the Career Pathways Circle sessions to find employment. After numerous applications and job leads, she interviewed with Intermex Wire Transfer LLC and received a position as a marketing field specialist in order to address her immediate living expense needs. In addition, she is working on building her clientele as a cosmetologist and plans on renting a location of her own in the future.
"I’m grateful to have fulltime employment with medical benefits. I’m thankful for programs like WIOA and all the services provided by
Inglewood One Stop in assisting my re-entering the workforce."