Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Tuesday urged employers to give transgender kids jobs as those youngsters are “among the most vulnerable.”

A training session attended by more than 100 caseworkers from Los Angeles city and county agencies and local nonprofit groups focused on expanding career opportunities for transgender youth.

“Everyone deserves the chance to build a career and prosper,” said Garcetti, whose office organized the session along with LGBTQ advocates.

“Transgender youth are among the most vulnerable Angelenos — and employers and advocates should have the tools to help young people get on the path to meaningful opportunities in every sector of the economy,” he said.

Garcetti’s office said attendees learned about issues facing trans youth when seeking employment, along with the transition process, proper use of gender pronouns and vocabulary, and differences between sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

The training was part of Garcetti’s HIRE LA’s Youth program and was conducted in partnership with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the Los Angeles Performance Partnership Pilot Initiative and UCLA’s Community Based Learning Program.

“Young transgender people face significant challenges in entering the workforce and finding meaningful career pathways. Many of them who cannot attain employment face the risk of becoming homeless,” said Simon Costello, director of the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Children, Youth & Family Services. “This indispensable training to case managers and career advisers will help empower trans youth in becoming equal and complete members of society.”

The unemployment rate for transgender people is twice that of the general population and nearly four times as high for transgender people of color, according to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.

— City News Service

>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!