On May 15, UNITE-LA joined regional partners at a public exhibition of the Opportunity Youth Demonstration Project, part of the Horizons 32K Earn and Learn Impact Initiative, to share results from a 10-month effort to strengthen health care career pathways for opportunity youth.

Implemented in partnership with WestEd, the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency, the project brought together regional teams including Goodwill Southern California, EMS Corps and UNITE-LA’s My Pathway to Health program to identify barriers preventing young people from accessing and completing health care training.

A key finding was that many challenges stem from system design rather than individual readiness. Disconnected timelines, limited navigation support, upfront costs and inconsistent communication can make it difficult for young people to enroll, persist and complete training programs. In response, partners developed more coordinated, youth-centered strategies that are now helping inform state-level conversations around policy, funding and system design.

As a demonstration team, UNITE-LA’s My Pathway to Health program focused on helping participants pursuing allied health care careers recognize and communicate transferable skills gained through previous work experience. The team developed a skills toolkit and workshop curriculum focused on resume development, interview preparation and career readiness. These tools will be piloted in an upcoming summer cohort to help participants build confidence and successfully transition into health care careers.

Together, this work highlights the importance of improving both systems and supports for opportunity youth, creating more accessible, coordinated and equitable pathways to long-term employment.