UNITE-LA

Join our WorkforceReady June cohort this summer! If you’re 14–26 and live in Los Angeles County, this program offers virtual, self-paced training designed to help you prepare for jobs and internships. Participants will learn how to:

💪 Build a strong resume
🧑‍💻Practice interview skills
🗣️ Strengthen communication
⏱️ Learn time management
🧑‍💼Grow your professional network

The deadline to apply is June 7! Prepare for your future today sign up at: bit.ly/41Knrm5

Tomorrow is the day! Join UNITE-LA and our partners at Los Angeles Ale Works in Culver City tomorrow from 5:30–7:30 p.m. for an evening of networking, collaboration and conversations about the future of apprenticeships in Southern California.

During the event, we’ll be connecting employers, workforce leaders and industry partners who are passionate about growing talent pipelines and expanding opportunity through apprenticeships.

Hosted alongside BuildWithin, South Bay Workforce Investment Board - SBWIB, Southern California Apprenticeship Network, Per Scholas Los Angeles and LA Tech, this mixer is a great chance to exchange ideas, make new connections and learn from leaders across the region.

Grab your spot before tomorrow: https://bit.ly/49IfPFt

🌟Partner Spotlight🌟

Sobrato Philanthropies is helping drive a more inclusive future for multilingual learners across California and UNITE-LA is proud to partner in that work.

With Sobrato Philanthropies’ support, UNITE-LA published Beyond English: Employer Perspectives on Language Skills at Work, highlighting multilingualism as a powerful asset for student success, workforce opportunity and economic mobility. Together, we’re helping elevate the voices, strengths and experiences of multilingual learners and building pathways where they can thrive in school, careers and their communities.

Read more about this partnership and other stories in our May newsletter: https://bit.ly/4uo85QX

UNITE-LA recently helped students “snap” into the world of tech with an immersive visit to Snap Inc.! 📱✨ Students from Early College Academy at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and West Los Angeles College (WLAC) connected with tech professionals, explored innovative workspaces and got real-world insight into careers in technology.

Experiences like these help students unlock new possibilities, picture themselves in high-growth industries and level up their confidence for the future!

Read the full story and more in our May newsletter: https://bit.ly/4uo85QX

Yesterday at the CalMatters Ideas Festival, UNITE-LA President Alysia Bell was part of an important conversation about California’s changing workforce and what it will take to create opportunity for the next generation, alongside Don Howard, President and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, and Eloy Ortiz Oakley, President and CEO of College Futures Foundation, moderated by Neil Chase, CEO of CalMatters.org.

She highlighted our LA Regional Cleantech Career Academy (Academy) as a powerful example of what’s possible when young people are connected to meaningful career pathways and strong support systems.

But programs like the Academy don’t succeed in isolation. They thrive because of aligned partnerships across employers, higher education, public agencies and community organizations all working toward a shared goal. The state needs to invest in intermediaries leading collaborative education and workforce efforts.

This is what we mean by a Regions Up approach:
🔹 Connecting talent to opportunity
🔹 Aligning education with workforce demand
🔹 Building systems that can scale impact

California’s workforce future depends on how well we work together across sectors to create pathways that are equitable, responsive and built to last.

Thank you to everyone who joined UNITE-LA’s latest Education Means Business policy webinar for an important conversation about affordability and economic mobility in California. We’re grateful to all who tuned in and helped make this discussion so impactful!

A special thank you to our incredible speakers, Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (AD-54), Dr. Alberto J. Román, Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor, and Abigail Stewart-Kahn, founding managing director, Stanford Center on Early Childhood, for sharing their insights on supporting working families, students, small businesses and communities amid today’s economic challenges.

Missed the conversation or want to watch again? View the full recording here: https://youtu.be/dk8SAAu4MQs

Join UNITE-LA and our partners on Thursday, May 28, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Los Angeles Ale Works in Culver City for an evening of connection and collaboration with apprenticeship leaders from across Southern California.

Hosted in partnership with BuildWithin, South Bay Workforce Investment Board - SBWIB, Southern California Apprenticeship Network, Per Scholas Los Angeles and LA Tech, this mixer is an opportunity for employers, workforce partners and industry leaders to exchange ideas, build relationships and explore how apprenticeship programs can support talent development and workforce growth.

Save your spot: https://bit.ly/499neNM

Small business owners are the backbone of our communities and we’re proud to partner on this important bilingual event designed to support and empower entrepreneurs across California. Join our partners at Small Business Majority on Tuesday, June 9, at 11 a.m. for a FREE webinar covering:
✔️ Access to capital & smart funding strategies
✔️ How to recognize and avoid predatory lending
✔️ Paid family leave and why it matters for business owners and employees

🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/4djkG1W

Proud to stand alongside our partners Small Business Majority, Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity, Community Capital and Inclusive Action for the City in supporting small business owners.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Unlocking Opportunity: Smart Funding, Worker Protections, and Family Leave for Small Business Owners Creando Oportunidades: Financiamiento Inteligente, Protecciones Laborales y Licencias Familiare.... Join Small Business Majority, TMC Community Capital, Inclusive Action, and The Los Angeles Department of Economic Opportunity for an engaging and informative webinar exploring access to capital, the risks of predatory lending, and the importance of paid family leave for workers and small business ow...

At a time when California is navigating workforce shortages, rising costs and economic uncertainty, the May Revise has an opportunity to double down on what’s working: investments that connect talent to education, career pathways and economic mobility.

At UNITE-LA, we see every day what’s possible when systems are aligned—when young people, workers and families have clear pathways into high-mobility careers.

That’s why we’re urging state leaders to:
👉 Expand proven workforce pathways like youth apprenticeships
👉 Sustain regional collaboration through K-16 partnerships
👉 Invest in entrepreneurial talent across immigrant communities
👉 Strengthen child care systems that make participation in the workforce possible

At the same time, we must ensure that proposed reductions and delays do not slow the progress California has made in building a stronger, more inclusive workforce.

UNITE-LA stands ready to partner with state leaders, employers, educators and community organizations to ensure the final budget expands opportunity and strengthens the systems that power our state.

This budget is more than numbers—it’s a roadmap for California’s economic future.

Read UNITE-LA’s full statement on the May Revise: https://bit.ly/3PAszXJ

Meet two of our dedicated volunteers making a difference for L.A. youth! 🌟

Isaac Pleitez has volunteered as a mock interviewer for UNITE-LA’s work-readiness training program since October 2022! Through volunteering as a mock interviewer, he helps young people strengthen their interviewing and professional skills. Isaac also coordinates additional volunteer support for UNITE-LA’s programing and events.

Nashid Mateen, a graduate of UNITE-LA’s Step into Tech and Emerging Leaders program, continues to give back as a volunteer by mentoring new participants and helping guide them toward career success. He also volunteers as a mock interviewer and networking facilitator, supporting youth as they prepare for their career journeys.

👏Thank you, Isaac and Nashid for your dedication and leadership in empowering and uplifting the next generation!

Learn more about Isaac and Nashid, and join them by signing up to volunteer for one of the opportunities listed in this month’s Together We Thrive volunteer newsletter!

https://bit.ly/4wvHUt6