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 and deliver major infrastructure projects.
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 L.A. 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 L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers, share their experiences, the impact of these programs 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 L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers served over 700 students across eleven program sites - our largest number of students yet. It was another successful summer focused on deepening, strengthening and new learnings. We continue to be inspired by our program partners and their students!
