UNITE-LA is proud to share that 51 business organizations from across California signed on to its annual budget letter advocating for increased early care and education reimbursement rates—an increase of more than 30 percent from last year, including 17 new partners.

UNITE-LA recently partnered with Early College Academy at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College to bring 32 high school students to Snap Inc. for an immersive, real-world introduction to careers in technology.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudine Battisti

UNITE-LA URGES CALIFORNIA LEADERS TO PROTECT ECONOMIC MOBILITY INVESTMENTS IN FINAL STATE BUDGET

UNITE-LA's Carrie Lemmon, Senior Vice President, Systems Change Strategy, recently joined the Becky Morgan Steward Leadership Program, a leadership initiative led by California Forward for emerging and mid-career leaders across the state, to facilitate a virtual session on systems change.

UNITE-LA recently launched its 2026 Health Sector Collaborative, convening 32 partners across education, workforce and industry to strengthen health care career pathways across Los Angeles County.

For the past four years, UNITE-LA’s partnership with Accenture has created meaningful pathways for students to access high-quality careers in technology and business.

As part of California’s Apprenticeship Appreciation Week in April, UNITE-LA participated in a series of statewide convenings advancing equitable, career-connected learning and stronger workforce systems for Californians.

In partnership with the Alliance for Candidate Engagement in Education, UNITE-LA recently co-hosted two candidate forums focused on the future of education and workforce development in California ahead of the upcoming elections.

On April 16, UNITE-LA joined L.A. City Mayor Karen Bass and city leaders at an environmental stakeholder meeting at Los Angeles City Hall to help inform the City’s forthcoming Climate Implementation Plan.

As part of National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month in April, UNITE-LA released its latest report, Beyond English: Employer Perspectives on Language Skills at Work, which examines how employers view language skills in today’s economy and how multilingual talent is being leveraged across industries.