With support from the Gates Foundation, UNITE-LA is working with Long Beach and South Bay partners in the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative to strengthen how students move from high school into postsecondary education and high-quality careers. Grounded in a recent national report on career pathways for young people, the California Purposeful Pathways Project brings K–12 and higher education partners together to improve advising, dual enrollment and career-connected learning systems, helping ensure students can navigate seamless education-to-career pathways.

UNITE-LA presented a session, “From Research to Practice: Partnering across the Workforce Ecosystem to Support Immigrant Workers,” at WORKCON 2026, hosted by the California Workforce Association and attended by business leaders, community-based organizations (CBOs), educational institutions, policymakers and Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) committed to creating effective, equitable and sustainable workforce solutions.

UNITE-LA was proud to co-host Southern California Apprentice Network (SCAN) May Mixer alongside BuildWithin, South Bay Workforce Investment Board, Per Scholas Los Angeles and LA-Tech.org. More than 40 employers, training providers and workforce leaders came together to explore how Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) can expand opportunity and meet the region’s growing workforce needs.

The mixer's interactive format encouraged meaningful conversations, allowing employers to connect directly with apprenticeship experts, learn about available resources and explore opportunities to launch or strengthen apprenticeship programs. Attendees also had the chance to build new relationships with organizations working across Southern California to create more coordinated pathways into high-quality careers.

Closing the digital divide takes more than infrastructure—it takes coordination, investment and community voice. That’s why UNITE-LA was proud to participate in the recent California Public Utilities Commission California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Annual Workshop, where state leaders, industry experts and community organizations came together to align on one goal: expanding equitable access to broadband across California.

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.

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.

Closing the digital divide takes more than infrastructure—it takes coordination, investment and community voice. That’s why UNITE-LA was proud to participate in the recent California Public Utilities Commission California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Annual Workshop, where state leaders, industry experts and community organizations came together to align on one goal: expanding equitable access to broadband across California.

As part of the convening, UNITE-LA’s Director of Digital Equity, Liliana Aide Monge, shared insights on how updated policies—particularly those guiding regional broadband consortia—can better support deployment and ensure communities are not left behind.

But what does this all mean for Californians?

When Dean Jinny Rhee welcomed a room of Long Beach high school students to California State University, Long Beach earlier this year, she knew she wasn’t simply opening a course, she was opening a pathway. “We don’t teach engineering in high school,” Dr. Rhee reflected. Without parents or mentors in STEM, young people often don’t learn what engineering is until college, sometimes too late to pursue it. To address this early access gap, and through planning and coordination made possible by the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative (Collaborative), CSULB launched Introduction to Engineering (ENGR 101), CSULB’s first-ever dual-enrollment course designed specifically for high school students.

UNITE-LA convened more than 60 K-12 districts, higher education, workforce and employer partners in January for a Lunch & Learn spotlighting the L.A. Region K-16 Collaborative's newly released health care workforce report, marking the largest community of practice session to date. The event highlighted key labor market insights and featured a panel of higher education and health care leaders who shared real-world perspectives on workforce demand, clinical placement challenges and the need for stronger alignment across education and training pathways.

As California continues building toward a fully integrated education-to-career system, UNITE-LA joined partners from the Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC) and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) at the Statewide K–16 Collaborative Peer Convening in San Diego on Jan. 29 and 30. The gathering brought together representatives from all 13 regional collaboratives to align on sustainability, funding strategies and measurable outcomes for California’s education-to-career system.