Building a Green County for All

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

The LA County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS), in concert with the Community College system, labor, and private employers, has positioned equity, the environment, and job quality at the center of our workforce system. This innovative, cross-industry approach has been undertaken in direct response to our global climate crisis, the state’s mandate to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2045, and the LA County Sustainability Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2019. To prioritize a supply side workforce that is focused on combating the negative byproducts of climate change with an equity lens, WDACS launched its Building a Green LA County for All initiative in 2018. WDACS has paired the supply side of workers with the demand side (employers) focused on career pathway employment while transitioning to a carbon neutral economy. WDACS, together with LA County Metro, cleantech employers, the LA County Development Authority, the LA and Orange County Building Trades, our local community colleges, and our public workforce system, has launched a series of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs focused on training and placing our local workforce into climate-resilient jobs. These career pathway opportunities have included green mass transit manufacturing, hazardous materials remediation, and green infrastructure as WDACS continues to build green employer partnerships and quality job opportunities through this initiative