How many job & career resources are in California?

Women's Corner tracks 17 job & career resources for women in California.

Are job & career resources in California free?

17 of the 17 listed job & career resources in California are explicitly free or low-cost.

Which cities in California have job & career resources?

Listings span cities including Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland.

What are some examples of job & career resources in California?

Featured entries include California Employment Development Department, CalJOBS, Dress for Success — San Francisco, Goodwill of Southern California — Career Services, California CalWORKs Employment Program.

Do these listings include phone numbers?

6 of 17 California job & career listings include phone numbers.

Where do I get free job training?

Your local American Job Center (find at CareerOneStop.org or call 1-877-872-5627) offers free training, resume help, and job placement through the WIOA program. Goodwill, Dress for Success, and Bottomless Closet provide job-readiness, interview clothing, and coaching. Community colleges run short-term certificate programs (CNA, medical billing, IT) under $1,000 that lead to immediate jobs.

Are there programs that hire single mothers?

Yes. Many employers partner with Goodwill, YWCA, and Workforce Boards on second-chance and single-mom hiring tracks — childcare assistance, flexible schedules, and tuition reimbursement included. Look at 'Family Forward NC' style state initiatives, certified Family-Friendly employers, and federal contractors (required to support working parents). Healthcare and logistics are the fastest-growing single-mom-friendly fields.

How do I write a resume after years out of the workforce?

Skip the chronological format — use a functional or hybrid resume that leads with skills (organization, budgeting, time management, problem-solving from caregiving counts). Reframe volunteer work, PTA, and freelance work as professional experience. Free help: American Job Centers, Dress for Success Career Center, LinkedIn's free resume builder, and the SBA Women's Business Centers.

What if I have a criminal record?

You still qualify for most jobs — Ban-the-Box laws in 37 states delay background questions until later in hiring. Federal contractors can't ask about records on the initial application. The Federal Bonding Program insures employers against loss for hiring you. Many states allow expungement of certain records after a waiting period — ask legal aid about clearing your record.

Best Job & Career in California — 17 resources

About Job & Career for Women

Job and career resources for women run through the 2,400+ American Job Centers (AJCs) nationwide, the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau, and SBA Women's Business Centers. AJCs offer free job search, resume help, and WIOA-funded training (often

0,000+ in tuition for in-demand occupations). WANTO grants fund women entering nontraditional trades like construction, electrical, and HVAC. Registered Apprenticeships pay workers during training, and organizations like Chicago Women in Trades, Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), and Dress for Success support entry and re-entry. For formerly incarcerated women, programs like the Center for Employment Opportunities provide transitional jobs. This directory includes AJCs, WBCs, apprenticeships, and women-focused workforce programs.

Job & Career in California

California handles custody in superior courts across all 58 counties, with the Department of Child Support Services running enforcement through local child support agencies (LCSAs). Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, and Sacramento are the major metros. LAFLA, Bay Area Legal Aid, the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, and Planned Parenthood affiliates serve women statewide.

17 Resources

1. California Employment Development Department — Free

EDD at 722 Capitol Mall in Sacramento administers unemployment insurance, disability insurance, paid family leave, and workforce services through 60+ America's Job Center of California (AJCC) sites statewide. Mothers can file UI online or call (800) 300-5616, apply for paid family leave during a baby's first year, and access free WIOA-funded training programs at any AJCC. CalJOBS account creation is the entry point for most services.

(800) 300-5616 · 722 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

2. CalJOBS — Free

CalJOBS is California's official online job board and workforce services portal where mothers create resumes, search 250,000+ active California job postings, and connect with local AJCCs for in-person help. Account creation is required for UI claimants but the job search is open to all. Veterans receive priority service. CalJOBS connects to WIOA training funds that pay tuition for certificate programs in healthcare, IT, and trades.

(800) 300-5616 · Online platform · 24/7 online · Visit Website

3. Dress for Success — San Francisco — Free

Dress for Success San Francisco provides referral-based interview suiting plus the Going Places Network and Professional Women's Group ongoing career support for low-income Bay Area women returning to work. Two suits are gifted (one for the interview, one for the first day), plus accessories and shoes. Mothers need a referral letter from a partner agency like St. Anthony's, CalWORKs, or a DV shelter. Call to confirm Tuesday-Friday suiting hours.

(415) 274-3878 · San Francisco, CA · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website

4. Goodwill of Southern California — Career Services — Free

Goodwill Southern California at 342 N San Fernando in LA operates 80+ career centers and retail-funded workforce programs serving 25,000+ Southern California job seekers annually. Free training programs include retail customer service, warehouse logistics, IT helpdesk, and the Bridge to Health Careers pipeline. Mothers can also access the Workforce Development Program's transportation vouchers and childcare assistance to remove employment barriers.

(323) 223-1211 · 342 N San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90031 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

5. California CalWORKs Employment Program — Free

CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work, administered through county social services agencies, provides job search, vocational training, and supportive services (childcare, transportation, work-related expenses) for CalWORKs recipients. The 24-month time clock is paused during education and training. Mothers in the program can access GAIN in LA, JobsPLUS in San Diego, or comparable county branding for the same suite of services.

(877) 847-3663 · Statewide program · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

6. California Small Business Development Center — Free

California SBDC's six regional networks operate 40+ centers offering free 1-on-1 business advising for California women entrepreneurs at any stage from idea to scale. Advisors help with business plans, licenses (especially California's complex local registrations), funding searches (Accion, CDFI, SBA microloan), and California Tax & Fee Administration registration. Specialized SBDCs serve veterans, exporters, and technology founders.

Multiple locations statewide · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

7. California Apprenticeship Initiative — Free

California's Division of Apprenticeship Standards at 1515 Clay in Oakland registers 1,400+ apprenticeship programs across construction trades, healthcare, IT, advanced manufacturing, and public sector roles. Women earn full union wages while training—a financial advantage over traditional college. The CAI also funds non-traditional apprenticeships for emerging industries. Mothers can search the registered program database to find pre-apprenticeship pathways with childcare support.

(916) 654-7799 · 1515 Clay St Suite 301, Oakland, CA 94612 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

8. CareerOneStop — Free

CareerOneStop is the US Department of Labor's career exploration portal, with free occupation profiles, salary data by California region, training program search, and the America's Job Center locator. Especially useful for California mothers comparing what occupations pay in LA vs Sacramento vs San Francisco using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Veterans Reemployment, mySkills myFuture (career-change tool), and the Apprenticeship Finder are all free.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. America's Job Centers — Free

California operates 60+ AJCCs (America's Job Center of California) under WIOA, providing free in-person career counseling, resume workshops, interview prep, and access to WIOA-funded training scholarships. Mothers can also use AJCCs as quiet workspaces with free internet and printers, and as the in-person backup when EDD online services aren't working. Find your nearest AJCC through CalJOBS or the federal CareerOneStop tool.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. DOL Women's Bureau — Free

DOL's Women's Bureau is the federal agency advocating for working women's economic security, publishing California-specific data on pay gaps, occupational segregation, and paid leave coverage. The Bureau funds California-based initiatives like the Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations (WANTO) grants and the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity for grandmothers raising grandchildren. Useful research for mothers advocating in policy spaces.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Dress for Success — Free

Dress for Success has 15 affiliates across California (LA, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Worldwide). The national site routes mothers to the nearest affiliate, explains the referral process required for first-time clients, and lists ongoing programs like Going Places Network, the Career Center, and Professional Women's Group. Career coaching often runs longer than the initial suiting—a multi-year resource for many California women.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. Bottomless Closet — Free

Bottomless Closet provides free interview-appropriate clothing and career development to women transitioning from public assistance to employment—similar mission to Dress for Success but with primary operations on the East Coast. Their resources and toolkits are useful for California mothers wanting to understand the full picture of career-readiness supports available across the nonprofit sector.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. Year Up — Free

Year Up runs free 1-year career training programs for young adults 18-29 in Bay Area, Greater LA, and other California regions, leading to corporate apprenticeships at companies like Bank of America, Salesforce, Cisco, and JP Morgan. Combines technical training with paid internships; participants receive a weekly stipend. Highly selective—about 1 in 4 applicants are admitted—but life-changing for young California mothers transitioning out of poverty.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. Goodwill Career Services — Free

Goodwill operates multiple California regional organizations (Southern California, San Francisco/San Mateo/Marin, Orange County, Silicon Valley, etc.) each providing job training, career counseling, and placement free of charge. Training pathways vary by region but typically include retail, customer service, IT support, and warehousing. Donations to Goodwill stores fund the workforce programs.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

15. Women Employed — Free

Women Employed advocates for policies that improve working women's economic standing, including paid sick leave, paid family leave, and pay transparency—policies California has led the country on. The site's research helps California mothers understand their rights under CFRA, the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), and California Equal Pay Act enforcement. Free resources include navigating workplace pregnancy and lactation accommodations.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

16. SCORE — Free Business Mentors — Free

SCORE has 60+ California chapters of volunteer business mentors—mostly retired executives—who provide free 1-on-1 consulting to women entrepreneurs. Mentors specialize in everything from food trucks to SaaS startups. Mothers can request virtual or in-person matching. SCORE also runs free webinars on California-specific issues like sales-tax registration, AB-5 worker classification, and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) compliance.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

17. SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership — Free

SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership funds California's network of Women's Business Centers and provides resources on federal contracting, the 8(a) program, and SBA-guaranteed loans (7(a), 504, microloan). California women own 1.7+ million businesses—the largest concentration in the country—and the SBA's California district offices in LA, Santa Ana, San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno, and Sacramento provide local support.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many job & career resources are in California?: Women's Corner tracks 17 job & career resources for women in California.
Are job & career resources in California free?: 17 of the 17 listed job & career resources in California are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in California have job & career resources?: Listings span cities including Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland.
What are some examples of job & career resources in California?: Featured entries include California Employment Development Department, CalJOBS, Dress for Success — San Francisco, Goodwill of Southern California — Career Services, California CalWORKs Employment Program.
Do these listings include phone numbers?: 6 of 17 California job & career listings include phone numbers.
Where do I get free job training?: Your local American Job Center (find at CareerOneStop.org or call 1-877-872-5627) offers free training, resume help, and job placement through the WIOA program. Goodwill, Dress for Success, and Bottomless Closet provide job-readiness, interview clothing, and coaching. Community colleges run short-term certificate programs (CNA, medical billing, IT) under
,000 that lead to immediate jobs.
Are there programs that hire single mothers?: Yes. Many employers partner with Goodwill, YWCA, and Workforce Boards on second-chance and single-mom hiring tracks — childcare assistance, flexible schedules, and tuition reimbursement included. Look at 'Family Forward NC' style state initiatives, certified Family-Friendly employers, and federal contractors (required to support working parents). Healthcare and logistics are the fastest-growing single-mom-friendly fields.
How do I write a resume after years out of the workforce?: Skip the chronological format — use a functional or hybrid resume that leads with skills (organization, budgeting, time management, problem-solving from caregiving counts). Reframe volunteer work, PTA, and freelance work as professional experience. Free help: American Job Centers, Dress for Success Career Center, LinkedIn's free resume builder, and the SBA Women's Business Centers.
What if I have a criminal record?: You still qualify for most jobs — Ban-the-Box laws in 37 states delay background questions until later in hiring. Federal contractors can't ask about records on the initial application. The Federal Bonding Program insures employers against loss for hiring you. Many states allow expungement of certain records after a waiting period — ask legal aid about clearing your record.