We graduated our third cohort of Step into Tech participants last month, with 14 of the 15 completing the course! In addition to learning from and engaging with professionals in tech, participants took courses in Networking, Cybersecurity and Data Science through the Cisco Networking Academy. Participants are now continuing with part two, where they have selected one of the pathways above and are taking courses, followed by a test that will earn them a lifetime certification in that pathway, an essential addition to their resume and a true step into a career in tech. We already have one participant who has successfully earned his lifetime certification in Cybersecurity!

A special thanks to our summer Step into Tech partners and volunteers for sharing their time, expertise and experience, and supporting the development of talent our region needs to meet our workforce needs!

Last month, UNITE-LA President Alysia Bell and staff members Amber Chapman and Danielle Corpus traveled to Monterey, CA for California Workforce Association’s Meeting of the Minds 2023 conference. The conference brought together 600 participants with diverse backgrounds to work together to take on the issues surrounding workforce development in California and across the country.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 29, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudine Battisti

UNITE-LA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF IMPACTFUL LEADERSHIP WITH FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES

Program Included Fireside Chat with LASUD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho

UNITE-LA supported the REAL Education and Workforce Development Committee’s meeting in August, which focused on the committee’s updates on education and workforce-related projects in their various regions.

Last month, UNITE-LA, in partnership with colleagues at John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY), led an advocacy meeting with Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Glendale) to discuss our co-sponsored bill, AB 789.

Last month, UNITE-LA’s National Strategic Partnerships (NSP) team attended the 2023 ACCE Annual Convention.

Last month, the Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative (OYC) team organized the LA Opportunity Youth: Los Angeles Performance Partnership Pilot (LAP3) Strategic Planning Convening. The LAP3 is a government collective impact initiative, which is an unprecedented effort in Los Angeles to coordinate and integrate the delivery of education, workforce and social services to disconnected youth, ages 16-24. The strategic planning convening had close to 90 partners present at the meeting, which represented government, education and community-based organizations and more to give their feedback on developing a regional, shared agenda for improving the outcomes for Opportunity Youth, including systems-involved youth, across public and private partners.

The UNITE-LA National Strategic Partnerships (NSP) team is wrapping up their work with the Lumina Foundation, who funded a 1.3 million grant to bring together chambers of commerce, community colleges and community-based organizations that directly represent communities of color to develop and drive the growth of credentialing and degree programs in their regions with the ultimate goal of placing low-income workers, particularly BIPOC workers, in well-paid jobs with opportunities for career advancement.

We are excited for UNITE-LA's My Pathway to Health participants, as most have begun embarking on their trainings in an allied health pathway of their choice! Eleven have chosen the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist pathway with Futuro Health, and four are pursuing the WERC Community Health Worker program, which partners with L.A. County. We continue to work closely with three other participants helping to secure placements in CNA and MA programs.

Step into Tech participants are nearing the end of their six-week program. They have completed introductory courses for areas including networking, LinkedIn, financial empowerment and cybersecurity. They have all been excited about having the opportunity to learn about different career pathways in tech through meaningful conversations and engagement with tech professionals, as well as hands-on experience through courses on the Cisco Networking Academy. Cisco has been a dynamic partner throughout the process, ensuring participants were trained on the platform, knowledgeable about the courses and certifications offered, sharing and connecting participants with job opportunities and helping to secure speakers.