Los Angeles County
Our Work in Los Angeles
Advancing Excellent Skilled Trades Education in L.A.
The Los Angeles region faces an urgent and growing demand for local skilled trades workers to support post-fire rebuilding, construct more affordable housing, deliver major infrastructure projects, and prepare for the 2028 Olympics.
At the same time, the region is experiencing a growing shortage of skilled trades workers as an aging workforce retires. Compounding this challenge, fewer than one in five high schools in Los Angeles County offer any type of skilled trades education, significantly limiting the pipelines that prepare young people for these high-demand, well-paying, family-sustaining careers.
We are working with community leaders to help answer the urgent question all of this poses: Who Will Build?
Empowering High School Students Through Hands-on Training
We launched Los Angeles County Skilled Trades Summers in 2021 to offer young people the opportunity to learn the trades and graduate high school with a foundation and life skills for these career paths. Each summer hundreds of students from across L.A. get paid while receiving intensive hands-on training and earning valuable industry-based credentials in construction, welding, auto and solar panel installation.
The Impact of L.A. County Programs
Students and teachers who have participated in our Los Angeles County programs share their experiences, the impact of the program and why they believe more students should have the opportunity to learn a skilled trade in high school.
Since 2021
In the Spotlight
Our 6th year of Los Angeles County Skilled Trades Summers will serve the largest number of students yet, with over 820 students across eleven programs. All our returning partners continue to deepen and strengthen their programs, with many expanding curriculum and class sizes. BRIDGE Housing will expand their program to year-round and we are welcoming a brand-new partner – Otis College of Art & Design/TGR Foundation (Tiger Woods Foundation).
