UNITE-LA is pleased to share that Carrie Lemmon, UNITE-LA vice president of Systems Change Strategy, was recently appointed to the City of Los Angeles' Youth Council, where committee members facilitate collaboration for youth advocacy and increase youth job opportunities. Moreover, Alysia Bell, president of UNITE-LA, joined the City of L.A. Workforce Development Board’s Five-Year Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee.

UNITE-LA supported the REAL EDWD Committee’s October convening, which focused on workforce development challenges in the health care sector and featured Clifford R. Daniels, senior vice president and chief strategy & integration officer for USC Arcadia Hospital. Daniels flagged one in five hospitals are in danger of shutting down in Southern California due to funding and workforce access challenges, making this a critical issue for the region. He emphasized a need for innovative solutions and strong legislative advocacy to address these and other impacting factors, including lack of child care, teacher shortages and a need for stronger K-12 pipeline programs.

UNITE-LA's most recent Education Means Business Policy Webinar had California's Assembly Majority Leader Isaac G. Bryan illuminating the most pressing challenges faced by opportunity youth (OY) and the importance of addressing their needs. During the event, we highlighted the efforts of UNITE-LA in supporting opportunity youth, including UNITE-LA serving as the co-convener of the OY Collaborative and contributing to the updated, strategic planning process of the Los Angeles Performance Partnership Pilot (LAP3), which aims to reduce the youth disconnection rate by 32,000 through an action plan to be published in early 2024.

UNITE-LA was proud to partner and support California Forward and the California Stewardship Network in the development of their annual California Economic Summit, an ongoing movement to make the government and economy work for everyone. The annual, two-day summit was designed to create a shared economic agenda, discuss the Roadmap to Shared Prosperity and set the stage for collective action in the coming year.

We really want to give another huge shoutout to our amazing sponsors for making UNITE-LA’s 25th Anniversary Symposium an absolute success!

UNITE-LA recently proudly partnered with Talent Rewire and the San Diego Workforce Partnership to bring the Employer Action Lab approach to Southern California employers.

Last month, UNITE-LA launched the second cohort of the Los Angeles Regional Cleantech Career Academy (Academy). Fifty students, ages 18-24, will spend 12 weeks learning about essential skills, industry sectors, local employers and career pathways into the emerging, clean energy economy. At the end of the 12-week program, eligible students will receive scholarships to continue their cleantech education and an opportunity to further their experience through internships with partnering cleantech employers.

UNITE-LA staff representatives traveled to Dayton, OH, for the ACCE combined Education Talent Development and Economic Community Development annual meeting.

UNITE-LA is proud to serve as affiliate lead for the West Coast for Business Leaders United (BLU) and jointly elevate key federal workforce advocacy opportunities with our state network of business organizations. Most recently, UNITE-LA was pleased to elevate a BLU Advocacy letter for business association signatures to urge Congress to continue to fund workforce investments as they moved through the appropriations process last month.

On Oct. 8, Gov. Newsom signed UNITE-LA co-sponsored Assembly Bill 789 (Berman and Cervantes). Joined by eight other leading advocacy organizations in college affordability and student success, this legislative win comes after a year of working with organizations and institutions across the state to develop a student-centered policy.