Over the past quarter, UNITE-LA presented at key gatherings, including the Los Angeles Postsecondary Funders Collaborative, California Workforce Association’s annual WORKCON and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation’s (LAEDC's) 88 Cities Summit, deepening our role as a thought partner and convener advancing equitable workforce development opportunities. We are actively sharing research to shed light on the barriers to effective workforce training and upskilling programs, especially for individuals with limited access to opportunity along the education-to-employment pathway. Recent presentations emphasized equity-driven, actionable recommendations, calling for increased investment in work-based learning, intermediary infrastructure and community-based providers to build a more coordinated, inclusive and responsive workforce development system.

At the Los Angeles Postsecondary Funders Collaborative, UNITE-LA shared key insights from our report, Empowering California’s Workforce: Strategic Recommendations for Systemic Improvement. We emphasized critical areas for philanthropic investment, such as expanding work-based learning, supporting intermediary organizations and strengthening community-based providers to better support young people transitioning from education to employment.

As co-convener of the L.A. Opportunity Youth Collaborative (OYC), UNITE-LA played a central role in a co-led session with the Nonprofit Finance Fund at the California Workforce Association’s annual WORKCON. The session spotlighted the often-overlooked financial challenges frontline organizations face in serving opportunity youth. UNITE-LA presented key recommendations from the recent issue brief, including advocating for dedicated state funding that would allow for increases in per participant budgets and higher indirect rate coverage, and giving providers more time to adapt to changes in funding processes before fiscal changes take effect.

Lastly, in partnership with the Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) and L.A. Unified, UNITE-LA presented at LAEDC’s 88 Cities Summit, emphasizing promising strategies to reconnect youth to school and work. These efforts, which include the co-location of services, have already helped reengage more than 4,000 young Angelenos and are vital for reaching the region’s goal of reducing disconnection among 32,000 youth by 2028. UNITE-LA is proud of our collaborative research efforts and will use findings to continually advocate for sustainable systemic solutions as a trusted leader in advancing equity, youth opportunity and economic mobility.

For more information, please reach out to Amber Chatman, Director of Workforce Systems and Policy at [email protected].