UNITE-LA’s Workforce-Programs team was recently awarded an unprecedented $1.75 million grant from the state’s Employment Development Department to support our three academy programs focused on prioritized populations, including the LA Regional Cleantech Career Academy, Step into Tech and My Pathway to Health. The investment acknowledges UNITE-LA is successfully providing education and workforce training programs to meet the needs of opportunity youth and young adults, ages 18-28, who are not active in education, employment or training in the Los Angeles region. Read more.

The 100 percent federally funded resource provides opportunities for youth and young adults served by UNITE-LA to access pathways to new careers and financial self-sufficiency. The investment also allows UNITE-LA to expand its support of prioritized populations, supporting 290 youth and opportunity young adults experiencing extensive barriers to education attainment and employment. The funding will also help expanded staff capacity by hiring five new positions to aid and improve our programs delivery and impact to ensure participants receive direct support with academy enrollments, completions and job placements in high-growth, high-mobility pathways. The staff expansions will include career specialists, case managers and an intake coordinator to assist with our cleantech, health care and technology programs. UNITE-LA was one of 10 organizations funded by the state, and one of only two funded in L.A. County.