Several hundred thousand people in LA County are still unemployed due to the pandemic, and job losses during the pandemic have been hardest on people without a college degree, particularly Latinas and Latinos. And many low-wage jobs, especially in service and retail, are not expected to come back. Many people are trying to figure out what to do next. Should you switch careers — and if so, how? Which jobs in Southern California are the best bet for a stable future and what kind of education do you need for them?
Should you spend the time and money to get a degree or a certification to move into a new field? If you have a family and/or a full-time job, what kind of higher education programs will accommodate you? If some of these questions have been on your mind, we’re here to help.
LAist (KPCC) College Pathways Reporter Jill Replogle hosted a Q&A session with higher education and employment experts that delved into these questions from the community, with panelists Jenna Gausman of Santa Monica College, Dr. Henan Joof of L.A. City College, and Jessica Ku Kim of the LA County Economic Development Corporation.
LAEDC would like to thank Jill Replogle at KPCC / LAist for her focus on this important issue.
To learn more about how we can restore a more equitable economy, and to better understand how the pandemic eroded equity, please visit LAEDC’s report, Pathways to Economic Resiliency. In addition, please visit LAEDC’s Workforce Development page to learn more about LAEDC’s work of helping our region’s people develop their talents and find well-paying jobs. In particular, job seekers may be interested in LAEDC’s partnership in Center for a Competitive Workforce, which has described over 100 middle-skill occupations to help people understand the wages, hiring outlook and efficient community college programs that provide the credentials people need to access these careers quickly.
For more information about LAEDC’s workforce development programs, please contact Claire Anderson at [email protected]