Vets looking for work? Text ‘LA211’ round-the-clock

Mayor Eric Garcetti Tuesday announced a round-the- clock text-messaging service aimed at connecting veterans to services and job resources.

Veterans who text the word “vet” to “LA211” can now get help from fellow veterans trained in navigating the web of social services offered to veterans, Garcetti said during the 10,000 Strong Veterans Career Summit at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

The service is available to veterans 24 hours, every day of the week, he said.

Garcetti also noted that the PsychArmor Institute operates a free hotline — (844) 779-2427 — to assist businesses and other employers that want to hire veterans, and that the local building trade unions have pledged that 10 percent of apprenticeships will go to veterans.

Since setting a goal last year of getting 10,000 veterans hired by 2017, 5,000 veterans have found jobs through about 200 private and public participants in his 10,000 Strong Coalition, Garcetti said.

“As the home to the highest number of unemployed veterans in the country, we have a duty here in Los Angeles to repay the service of our returning heroes with job opportunities,” Garcetti said.

“We owe our veterans more than a handshake and a thank-you — we owe them the help they deserve to transition their valuable skills to support their families and benefit our local employers.”

—City News Service