The Vocational Service Center, or VSC, represented a continuation of the work of the Bowery Branch of the YMCA of the City of New York. Established in 1944, in part to address the needs of veterans returning home from WWII, the VSC emphasized educational counseling and vocational guidance as well as actual job placement. In 1946, the VSC moved uptown from its Bowery location to Park Avenue near Grand Central Station. It incorporated and centralized the job counseling services that were taking place in other branches besides the Bowery -- West Side, McBurney, Harlem and Sloane House branches all offered vocational and job placement services. Unlike other branches, the VSC focused exclusively on vocational, educational, and personal counseling and placement. Again, unlike other branches, the VSC had no income-producing activities such as fitness center memberships, dormitory rooms and cafeterias. The programs required significant fund-raising to stay afloat and the VSC received funding from other branches.
The VSC developed numerous cooperative programs with other agencies, such as the Veterans Administration, churches, hospitals and businesses for whom the VSC performed testing and other employment services. In the 1950s, the branch developed outreach programs for war refugees and displaced persons. It continued the Bowery Branch's practice of offering credit aid to those who could not pay. The staff collectively spoke more than 10 languages, making a visit to the VSC an important stop for new immigrants.
The name of the VSC changed to Counseling and Testing Service in 1967. It continued operations until 1985.
From the guide to the Vocational Service Center records, 1938-1980, (bulk 1955-1970), (University of Minnesota. Kautz Family YMCA Archives. [ymca])
