Vocation is my Vacation

A huge smile stretched over my computer monitor and with great enthusiasm, he went on to say - -

“And guess what?” She is not only doing DoorDash delivery, she took a class in stage lighting and production and a class in acting, and she’s now a part of a stage crew in a theater in North Hollywood, and she has a part in a play, and….”

Yep. This is Ronald Simmons, our Vocational Development Specialist, and you better believe he is just as excited every time he finds a job for a Veteran in need.

“Vocation is my vacation,” he said. “It lifts you, it fulfills you, it gives you a break from the things you're doing at home,” Simmons said. “I work with Veterans who are in the HUD VASH program and help them integrate, and assist them with vocational and rehabilitation services through the community,” Simmons said.

Veterans receive help with resume building and interview preparations. “We do mock interviews which include before, during, and after interviews. We help with responding to a work announcement, assist with setting up zoom meetings, and in-person interviews,” Simmons said.

The other side of Simmons’ job is to talk with employers in order to assure that there is a fit for the Veteran and the employer as well and assure that employers have a good track record with working with Veterans.

“Our mission to maximize veterans opportunities in competitive employment. We don’t want to send someone who is looking for a job sitting down, to a job like security that requires a lot of walking. We're not just sending a veteran to a place to get a number. We stick with the organizations that have proven themselves to be legitimate, and actually focus on helping Veterans.”

Simmons, a disabled Veteran, shares his experiences .

“I do know of those discriminations. I would just say that they are either subtly or obviously. Most of the folks that I work with are over 40, and they still want to contribute to their community - some working in part-time or temporary and seasonal work. But they sense that the community wants a younger person. So I help find them jobs in companies that do not discriminate,” Simmons said.

“We’re working with employers who have a good track record so that we're not just sending a veteran to a place to get a number. Recently, we worked with DoorDash and work with organizations like America’s Job Center.”

Simmons has a farm...

Simmons has been with the VA since 2012, and although he has worked in government before, he said enjoys his present job the most because helps improve people’s lives.

“I remember a veteran who was, unhappy with his amount of money that he was making. He was in the IT field and he was making about $20 an hour. Three or four months into the process of working with him, I gave him a suggestion look for something that he really enjoys doing,” Simmons said.

“He contacted me back and he said that he had good news. He said that didn’t work in the IT company anymore and that he took my advice and is now working for U.S. Borax, a company that mines and manufactures cleaning products. He is working in the technical field and loves what he does. And not only that, he is, making $62 an hour. I didn’t think I heard it right, and I said, ‘wait, what did you say?’ And he said $62.00 an hour. So not only he tripled his income, but he is happy with what he is doing. So I consider this a success.”

There are several ways a Veteran can get to Simmons. Some of them can reach out to Simmons, through a social worker, through a peer support specialist, or through a mental health specialist. Once referred, Simmons sets
out to match the Veteran with the appropriate job. Simmons also works to find employers who need employees and works with them to find the right fit for both the Veterans and the employers.

“We don’t send someone who has a back or knee problem to a security company that requires its guards to do a lot of walking,” Simmons said. “We work with the Veterans’ and the employers’ needs. Other-wise we can lose the employer. They can say, we are not hiring at this time. So I’m upfront and I tell the employer, with the Veteran’s permission of any restrictions and we work together.”

Simmons works in Sepulveda and although he is the only one there in that capacity, he does not work in a vacuum. Inside the VA, he works closely with our mental health and housing programs. Outside the VA he works closely with community organizations such as the Salvation Army and America's Job Center.

“When a Veteran is housed and then and the employment piece comes into play, it brings the Veterans confidence. And to me it's just an awesome sight to see. I get emotional when I see a Veteran who didn’t know biomedical technology or how to set up a video camera now does.”

During his off days, Simmons enjoys his family and farm animals. He collects motorcycles, which he rides, and has a few who are vintage he considers his prize possessions.