Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced the L.A. College Promise Works initiative, which will connect community college students to career coaching, skills training and paid employment opportunities.
The program is the product of a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Community College District, the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and the city’s Workforce Development System.
“COVID-19 has forced us all to make sacrifices in our jobs, homes and lives, but our students should never have to sacrifice their education, their job prospects or their futures,” Garcetti said. “With L.A. College Promise Works, our young people won’t have to make a choice between going to school and pursuing a career, and we will be their partners in forging a strong foundation of equity, opportunity and success for our city, our economy and all Angelenos.”
L.A. College Promise Works will build a sustainable, equity-driven employment pipeline that connects College Promise students to high-quality jobs and career pathways in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, Garcetti said.
Support from the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles will sponsor a dedicated program manager and support career coaches on all nine Los Angeles Community College District campuses to help students.
“L.A. College Promise Works will provide students with career exploration and early work experience — two critical components we know can be transformative in a student’s long-term career path,” said LACCD Board of Trustees President Andra Hoffman.
Placement of students will be made in a variety of industries, including media and entertainment, tech, health care, real estate, transportation, green industries and early childhood education and care, Garcetti said.
L.A. College Promise Works will also open 500 subsidized job placements, supported by the city’s Hire L.A.’s Youth program, which was expanded by a motion led by Councilman Curren Price to reallocate $10 million from the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget to workforce development programs.
“L.A. College Promise Works is a continuation of our commitment to student success and an expansion of opportunity,” LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez said. “In these unprecedented times, the strength of our partnership with Mayor Garcetti and his team extends the promise in 2020 to meet the goals and dreams of our students.”
Additional paid employment opportunities will be in available from companies such as BMG, one of the world’s largest music companies, and nonprofits like Project Destined, which provides stipend-based real estate training and experience.
“L.A. College Promise Works is an outstanding investment into the community for advancing higher education, access, and youth empowerment,” said Tim Reid, BMG senior vice president for repertoire and marketing. “BMG is proud to be their music industry partner, and we are committed to providing the mentorship and experience to help build an invaluable foundation for future leaders and their careers. We encourage all to learn more and get involved.”
More information about the L.A. College Promise Works program is at LACollegePromise.org/LACPWorks.
Employers interested in becoming a partner of the program can contact Andres Cuervo, the L.A. College Promise Works manager, at Andres.Cuervo@lacity.org.
