Employment program aims to connect 15,000 young people to jobs this year.
LOS ANGELES—Connecting young people to meaningful employment is an important step in helping them build work experience and start pursuing the careers of their dreams. Mayor Eric Garcetti today joined L.A. County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Don Knabe to mark the success of the 2016 HIRE LA’s Youth program and push for new opportunities to get more young people into jobs.
HIRE LA’s Youth provides jobs for Angelenos between the ages 14 and 24, placing them in a variety of industries — including transportation, healthcare, hospitality, entertainment, government, and financial services. Along with work experience, the program offers training opportunities, on-the-job mentoring, financial literacy workshops, and other resources.
“Every young person deserves the opportunity to earn a paycheck and gain skills that will put them on a path to prosperity,” said Mayor Garcetti. “HIRE LA’s Youth is an investment that pays off in their lives today, and holds the promise of a brighter future for our city and the entire region.”
In February, Mayor Garcetti set a new goal to triple the number of youth jobs that were being created when he took office, by connecting 15,000 young people to jobs through HIRE LA’s Youth in 2016. To date, employers have already made more than 13,000 hiring commitments toward that goal.
“An opportunity is all these kids want — a chance to show their skills and work hard — and since 2006, we’ve worked with our partners in the private, public and non-profit sectors to make these opportunities possible,” said Supervisor Don Knabe. “Thank you to all the businesses and organizations across Los Angeles County for giving our kids a chance to prove themselves and start on their paths to a successful career.”
Since 2013, Mayor Garcetti’s HIRE L.A.’s Youth program has placed more than 28,000 young people in youth jobs.
“I am very pleased that the County of Los Angeles is in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles to provide such an enormous commitment to our region’s youth with career exposure and employment opportunities that can make a lifelong impact for the participants and their communities,” said Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, Chair of the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. “I can relate through my own experiences that when communities come together with a deep desire to invest in their youth, it is truly an investment in the leaders of the future.”
HIRE L.A.’s Youth is a key component of the Youth Workforce Development System in the City and County of Los Angeles, and a signature element of Mayor Garcetti’s agenda to strengthen L.A.’s economy. The program provides career exploration opportunities to low-income youth — and this year, specific opportunities are targeted to foster youth, young people from families receiving CalWORKs, as well as youth on probation, youth receiving General Relief, and homeless youth.
