The Los Angeles Digital Equity Action League (LA DEAL), the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department (ISD), the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), the California Department of Technology (CDT) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) invite you to an upcoming workshop to seek input on the development on the State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) and the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan.

Los Angeles is poised to establish itself as the nation's capital for green energy and clean technology. The city is home to world-class innovative companies and has the visionary leadership needed to build an unmatched clean energy economy. And Los Angeles' position is only going to be supercharged by the investments made available through bills like the Inflation Reduction Act.

There's just one issue. If you talk with employers these days, they will tell you one of their biggest challenges is finding qualified workers. The workforce challenge is even more acute in the dynamic and fast-growing clean energy sector.

Did You Know?

After our advocating for Proposition 47, and our service as co-chair of the L.A. County Prop 47 Jobs & Services Taskforce, in 2018, in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services and their Fair Chance Hiring campaign, UNITE-LA launched a pilot workforce development cohort-style program connecting 26 systems-involved 16- to 24-year-olds to job preparation, mentorship and an eight-week, 320-hour, paid internship at a private sector company. This work continues!

My Pathway to Health is a new program for UNITE-LA, connecting opportunity youth (out of school and out of work), ages 18-24, to careers in allied health. Launching May 9, My Pathway to Health is a paid opportunity and will provide participants the chance to explore careers and educational opportunities as phlebotomists, community health workers and peer support specialists.

UNITE-LA will be launching the second cohort of its Step into Tech program on May 18. The program is being offered to systems-involved individuals, ages 18-35. Over the course of five weeks for a total of 15 hours, participants will have the opportunity to listen and learn about different career pathways in tech and entrepreneurship from six career professionals from companies that include Meta, Snap Inc., xahive, Silverline, IH Communications and Third and Grove.

Pathways to STEAM Careers is a partnership with the Department of Economic Opportunity, Los Angeles County (DEO). The program, made possible by funding from CA AB 628–the Breaking Barriers to Employment Initiative–helps increase employment outcomes for opportunity youth, systems-involved individuals and economically disadvantaged young people by connecting them to STEAM career education, training and paid work experience in high-growth, high-mobility occupations in health care, tech and cleantech.

Led by Kelly LoBianco, the first director of the L.A. County Department of Economic Opportunity, DEO works to unlock L.A. County’s economic potential and build thriving, inclusive local communities. UNITE-LA’s Overcoming Obstacles project complements the work of DEO’s L.A. County Workforce Development Board (WDB) and America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs) by enrolling eligible applicants served by AB 628 funded programs in formal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and California Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (AB 1270) workforce development and job placement programs. UNITE-LA has worked closely with the L.A. County Workforce Development Board for many years as a regional thought leader identifying programmatic, policy and systems change level solutions leading to workforce development reforms.

In March, UNITE-LA collaborated with leaders from UTLA and L.A. Unified School District to apply for a 2023 California Community Schools Partnership Program Implementation Grant, which would provide an additional $33.4 million to support Cohort 4 community schools over five years. The L.A. Unified Community Schools Steering Committee selected the 21 new schools making up Cohort 4 in February.

Last month, UNITE-LA, in partnership with Avantus, held the kickoff event for the Avantus Cleantech Career Academy. During the event, the Academy’s founders, partners and local leaders recognized 75 students who will spend 12 weeks learning about essential skills, industry sectors, local employers and career pathways into the emerging, clean energy economy. We are leading the way to developing a diverse, inclusive, local workforce to meet the industry’s talent pipeline needs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2023

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

LA'S CLEANTECH LEADERS CELEBRATE THE START OF FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND ACADEMY

75 students join the first class of the Avantus Cleantech Career Academy, training for success in California’s green economy

LOS ANGELES, Calif — March 28, 2023: Avantus Cleantech Career Academy (Avantus Academy) celebrated its inaugural class of students this week at a kick-off event co-hosted by Avantus (formerly 8minute) and UNITE-LA at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College. The academy's founders, partners and local leaders came together to recognize 75 students who are set to begin classes this week, building skills and relationships that will help them thrive in Los Angeles’ clean energy future.

UNITE-LA's National Strategic Partnership team would like to share news and resources relevant to the intersection of education and business communities. We highlight best practices, trends and learnings to be considered as we work to collectively enrich the local landscape.