UNITE-LA is leading a new effort to ensure more young people in Los Angeles County graduate high school with clear pathways to college, careers and economic mobility.

Through the California Purposeful Pathways Project, funded by the Gates Foundation, UNITE-LA and the California Community Foundation will support proof points in the Long Beach and South Bay subregions of the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative. The effort will demonstrate how high schools and community colleges can better align advising, dual enrollment and career-connected learning into more coherent and equitable pathways for students.

On March 13, partners from across Los Angeles County came together for the Horizons 32K Stewardship Board quarterly meeting to deepen alignment around our shared mission to reduce youth disconnection. Representatives from education, workforce, philanthropy, community‑based organizations and county agencies were in the room, alongside members of the Youth Advisory Council. The group received updates across key workstreams, including efforts to strengthen high school transitions, expand earn‑and‑learn opportunities, advance systems change through the Opportunity Youth Demonstration Project and improve mentorship and regional coordination. The conversations reinforced our collective commitment to ensuring young people—especially those furthest from opportunity—can access clear, supported pathways into education, training and employment.

UNITE-LA kicked off the 11th cohort of Step into Tech last month, welcoming 31 aspiring tech professionals selected from more than 200 applicants. As they begin building in-demand skills, exploring career pathways and connecting with industry mentors, they are joining a program designed not just to train but to launch careers.

That impact is already taking shape through alumni like Estefania Perez. After graduating in summer 2024, she returned as an Emerging Leader for the spring 2025 cohort while starting a $25 per hour internship as a Network Analytics Intern at Caterpillar Inc. By fall 2025, she secured a full-time role as an IT Analyst and has since returned again as a volunteer mentor.

On Feb. 12, UNITE-LA convened business leaders, economic development partners and community stakeholders for a press conference in Los Angeles to highlight growing concerns about workforce instability and its impact on local businesses and regional economic health.

UNITE-LA was honored to partner with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and Small Business Majority to co-host a webinar supporting employers and business leaders as they navigate new compliance requirements under SB 294, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

Families in Schools and the Los Angeles Unified School District invited UNITE-LA to a February convening of early learning advocates, district leaders and partners to review a districtwide plan for promoting family engagement and supports for children starting at birth.

UNITE-LA is honored to share that Kelly Reynolds, director of Education and Workforce Strategy & Policy, was appointed as vice chair of the Education and Workforce Development Committee for the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA). In early February, Adam Gottlieb, director of Postsecondary Strategy & Policy, represented UNITE-LA in the vice chair role, sharing key updates on early care and education investments and the proposed 2026–27 State Budget.

The L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative was honored by Assemblymember Mike Gibson, who represents Compton and surrounding communities, with a Certificate of Recognition in honor of its work aligning Los Angeles area education, workforce and employer partners to support equitable student access and success leading to meaningful careers.

UNITE-LA co-hosted a webinar with our partners at National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)–Los Angeles, Small Business Majority and the County of Los Angeles.

From March 15 to 17, UNITE-LA's Associate Director of Public Policy, Ajay Lucas, and Policy Analyst, 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.