This month’s partner spotlight goes to UniHealth Foundation, in recognition of their support for our My Pathway to Health program, which connects opportunity young adults to meaningful careers in the health care sector.

On Tuesday, March 17, the LA Regional Cleantech Career Academy launched its seventh cohort, welcoming 65 students.

Last month, UNITE-LA's Policy team secured support from 14 business organizations for SB 1132 (Smallwood-Cuevas), a co-sponsored bill focused on workforce rights training.

UNITE-LA connected with the next generation of talent at the NBA All-Star Tech Slam, where staff engaged nearly 100 high school students through small-group sessions focused on career exploration.

UNITE-LA partnered with the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA) to co-host a timely session in their VICA University series, supporting employers navigating new compliance requirements under SB 294, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

Last month, UNITE-LA co-hosted a gubernatorial forum with Choose Children California, a campaign guided by a diverse California network of more than three dozen advocates and service organizations committed to creating a thriving future for California children and families.

Last month, UNITE-LA President Alysia Bell joined Sarah Harris on 790 KABC’s The Bloc Power Hour radio show for an important conversation about the real economic impact of ICE raids, immigration and workforce policy across the country. From workforce stability to economic mobility, Alysia’s interview addressed how the ICE raids are hurting our local businesses, employees and communities. Listen on Spotify or your preferred podcast platform to hear the full conversation.

From March 15 to 17, UNITE-LA's Ajay Lucas and Ashley Álvarez attended ACCESS D.C., hosted by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. This annual fly-in convenes business and civic leaders from the Los Angeles region to engage with federal policymakers to promote policies that will drive job creation and cultivate a thriving regional economy for all.

Álvarez also attended the California Early Care and Education Federal Advocacy Trip, hosted by our partners at the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), an annual event that brings together early care and education providers and advocates from California for coordinated congressional engagement in Washington, D.C. Additionally, we joined the Caregiving Summit, an event focused on strengthening support systems for working families.

UNITE-LA is proud to be one of eight grantees selected for funding through the College Futures Foundation's Unlocking Economic Mobility for Adult Learners initiative. The final grantees were selected from a highly competitive pool of 223 applicants from across the field. Through this initiative, UNITE-LA, in partnership with California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), California State University, San Bernardino, Mount Saint Mary’s University, University of California, Irvine, WorkBay, Project Rebound, community-based organizations and industry representatives, join a statewide cohort advancing innovative, learner-centered solutions to improve postsecondary outcomes for working adults.

When Dean Jinny Rhee welcomed a room of Long Beach high school students to California State University, Long Beach earlier this year, she knew she wasn’t simply opening a course, she was opening a pathway. “We don’t teach engineering in high school,” Dr. Rhee reflected. Without parents or mentors in STEM, young people often don’t learn what engineering is until college, sometimes too late to pursue it. To address this early access gap, and through planning and coordination made possible by the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative (Collaborative), CSULB launched Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 101), CSULB’s first-ever dual-enrollment course designed specifically for high school students.