Francine Brevetti

By Francine Brevetti Oakland Tribune correspondent   Click photo to enlarge  Veterans Michael Cooper, left, and Andrew Stercks use the computers inside InterCity Services…   Berkeley — Veterans who have returned from active duty can be unprepared for the job market, even in the best of times, say experts in the field. But a nonprofit in Berkeley supports these veterans returning to civilian life in the East Bay. Andrew Stercks, 47, of Clayton, returned last April from a tour of duty in Iraq. He was formerly a police officer in another state, but in California he could not qualify for that occupation. Furthermore, pursuing treatment for his service-related injuries prevented him from launching a concerted job search. He recently learned of Berkeley-based Inter-City Services, which guided him to a career in security and is paying 100 percent of his training. Michael Cooper, 48, of Hayward, left the armed services in 2006, but just found the training he needed for civilian employment in March. He has been scraping by with short-term jobs in construction and truck driving. When his girlfriend recently went to the state Employment Development Department looking for a job, she brought back literature about Inter-City Services. “I met them and three days later I was in the system and in one week I was enrolled in a welding class,” Cooper said. “I have never seen anybody act so fast in my life.” Inter-City Services Executive Director Mansour Id-Deen founded the nonprofit 25 years ago to provide vocational training and job placement to people in the Bay Area, including veterans. “In December, we received our largest grant to train veterans — $650,000

 to train 144 people in the next two years,” he said. 

Previously, Inter-City Services had been funded $500,000 to train 125 returning soldiers.

At its location on 3269 Adeline St., Inter-City Services offers career counseling, office and computer training, computer repair, and GED preparation. If the applicant requires a different area of vocational training, he or she will be referred to another training institution with all fees paid.

All honorably discharged veterans, including those with disabilities, can find a home at Inter-City Services.

Inter-City Services has been receiving state funding for veteran training most years since 1998.

The most recent grant specified that 50 percent of the recipients should be recently separated veterans, that is, those coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq — soldiers like Stercks and Cooper.

“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble at all filling the 144 spots,” Id-Deen said.

On the other hand, Id-Deen observed that, just like Stercks and Cooper, it sometimes takes a while before veterans find the agency. Inter-City Services says its goal is to provide a seamless service from military to civilian employment.

But those recently out of the armed forces may not seek the services available to them.

Montell Currin, Inter-City Services veteran representative, understands this because of his experience.

“When I got out, I didn’t want to see anyone connected to the military. That’s primarily why we’re not seeing the younger veterans. They don’t know anything about ICS until I approach them or they are referred to us; then they’re interested,” Currin said.

Since Inter-City Services is not a government entity, veterans can enjoy both government benefits and utilize all of Inter-City Services’ utilities, Id-Deen said.

Michael Ennis, officer for Alameda County Veterans Service Office, represents veterans before Veterans Affairs and other local and state agencies. He urged veterans to go to the Employment Development Department immediately after returning to civilian life.

“They have special services for veterans. When a new job opportunity appears, that job is held for 24 hours to search for qualified vets” before publicizing it to the general public, Ennis said.

Inter-City Services works closely with One-Stop Career Centers, part of the Employment Development Department.

Id-Deen is in frequent contact with that organization to maximize funding and opportunities for his clients, he said.

To find out more about Inter-City Services, go to www.icsworks.com.