UNITE-LA is advancing a coordinated state policy agenda and urging partners, employers and policymakers to support critical state legislation—AB 805 and SB 1132—to strengthen California's workforce system and expand economic mobility for opportunity youth. This work builds on momentum from the 2026 Youth Apprenticeship Summit in Sacramento, where leaders across education, workforce and policy aligned around implementation, marking a critical shift from planning to action. As the state moves to operationalize recommendations from the California Youth Apprenticeship Committee, UNITE-LA is helping ensure that policy, practice and lived experience are aligned to expand equitable, high-quality career pathways.

UNITE-LA's policy efforts are anchored in advancing key legislation and investments to strengthen apprenticeship systems statewide. At the summit, UNITE-LA's Edgar Castillo, Senior Manager of Workforce Systems & Policy, highlighted the importance of AB 805 in streamlining apprenticeship approvals, elevating regional intermediaries and better connecting education and workforce systems. As a co-sponsor, UNITE-LA is working in close partnership with the California Opportunity Youth Network (COYN), the Alliance of Boys and Men of Color and Youth Will to advance AB 805 alongside a $65 million state budget request to sustain and expand the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) Grant Program. These efforts are designed to scale high-quality apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pathways, building on COYA's success in supporting 80 programs and serving more than 3,300 young people statewide. We encourage partners and stakeholders to formally support AB 805 and join us in advocating for continued investment in COYA to ensure these opportunities can grow and reach more young people across California.

In tandem, UNITE-LA is co-sponsoring SB 1132, in partnership with the California Immigration Policy Center and the Pilipino Workers Center, to establish a standardized workplace and immigrant know-your-rights curriculum across California's workforce system, an essential step toward promoting safe, equitable and informed workplaces. We urge supporters to back SB 1132 and promote workforce strategies that empower workers with the knowledge they need to succeed.

Together, these efforts represent a comprehensive approach to building a more connected, inclusive workforce system that supports employers and expands access to career pathways for young people across California.

For more information, please reach out to Edgar Castillo at [email protected].