In October, the California Department of Education re-announced its list of Golden State Pathways Program (GSPP) award recipients. The $470 million GSPP state grant is part of California’s broader effort to enhance career pathways at high schools and community colleges, focusing on high-wage, high-demand fields such as technology, health care, education and climate-related industries. UNITE-LA congratulates our L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative partners for receiving $3.8 million in planning, $75.6 million in implementation and $5 million in consortium grants from the GSPP.

UNITE-LA is eager to collaborate with our subregional partners to swiftly and thoughtfully implement and scale regional pathways initiatives, especially following the setback caused by the state’s abrupt revocation of grant recipients in July due to an influx of appeals from school districts. The delay has frustrated districts, hindering the execution of plans outlined in the March grant proposals, originally slated to begin in the 2024-25 school year.

Despite these challenges, GSPP’s focus on increasing the accessibility of career pathways offers hope for a thriving future–students engaged in pathway programs typically graduate and enroll in college at higher rates, earning more over the course of their lifetimes. UNITE-LA remains committed to advancing the GSPP by nurturing partnerships between the business community and educational institutions, ensuring that workforce development strategies align with students’ academic and career-readiness needs. We also look forward to supporting LACOE, Los Angeles County’s GSPP Regional Technical Assistance Center, with developing employer engagement strategies and expanding countywide, work-based learning opportunities.

For more information, please reach out to Carrie Lemmon, Senior Vice President of Systems Change Strategy at [email protected].