UNITE-LA attended the Breaking Barriers by Building Partnerships Convening hosted by the Foundation for California Community Colleges in San Diego last month.

UNITE-LA President, Alysia Bell, and Senior Vice President of Programming, Bridget Netter, joined Roberta Connors, director of HR for Avantus, to present the Avantus Cleantech Career Academy during a breakout session at the California Workforce Association's Annual Spring Conference in San Diego.

UNITE-LA’s My Pathway to Health program launched last month with 30 participants. This paid, three-part program provides opportunity youth, ages 18-24, pathways into careers in allied health care. Throughout the program, participants are supported by staff, mentors and their peers. The first part of the program takes place over five weeks, where participants hear from professionals and educators in the health care field and explore career and educational opportunities as certified nursing assistants, phlebotomists, community health workers and Medi-Cal peer support specialists. They will then meet with mentors and staff to help support their decision-making process and complete the application process for the educational program of their choice.

On June 12, UNITE-LA celebrated the first cohort of the Avantus Cleantech Career Academy.

In his 2016 State of the City address, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the L.A. College Promise, a landmark initiative to improve college going rates among Los Angeles youth.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT:
Avantus
Katie Struble
Director, Corporate Communications
[email protected]

LA LEADERS CELEBRATE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF THE AVANTUS CLEANTECH CAREER ACADEMY

First-of-its-kind academy graduates its inaugural cohort, celebrating LA’s next generation of cleantech leaders with the help of Council President Paul Krekorian and others

LOS ANGELES, Calif — June 13, 2023: Avantus (formerly 8minute) and UNITE-LA were joined by Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian on Monday to celebrate the first graduating class of the Avantus Cleantech Career Academy (Avantus Academy). Launched in 2022, the Avantus Academy prepares Los Angeles’ next generation to enter the cleantech workforce and tackle the region’s most pressing climate issues. Monday's celebration recognized the academy’s first graduating class of 55 students who received hands-on apprenticeship-style learning and mentorship from leading cleantech employers across Los Angeles.

On May 19, the Los Angeles Digital Equity Action League (LA DEAL) held the L.A. Region Broadband for All, Digital Equity and BEAD Planning Workshop, at L.A. Trade-Tech.

"This was life changing and eye opening for me! Thank you is an understatement. - Spring 2023 Cohort Participant

The culmination of the second cohort of Step into Tech took place on May 18.

In case you missed it last month, Assembly Speaker Rendon appointed UNITE-LA board member and Executive Director of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Angelica Salas, to the state’s Racial Equity Commission!

Last month, UNITE-LA’s Postsecondary Systems Team cohosted a celebration of financial aid completion efforts in L.A. County with LACOE, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS) and Ed Trust-West.