The Los Angeles Board of Public Works voted unanimously Friday to create a pilot demonstration program focused on developing recruitment and hiring models that will bring people from low-income and disadvantaged L.A. communities into public sector employment.
“My colleagues and I are intensely excited about this project and the opportunity to create opportunity,” said Greg Good, president of the Board of Public Works.
“Vulnerable communities and communities of color have historically been the last to feel the benefits of our prosperity. Our mayor and this board are committed to changing that, and as the second-largest department in the city, we are uniquely positioned to do so by testing new models and ideas. This new working group is a tremendous step in the right direction.”
The board specifically voted to have Good report back with a framework for the program, using input from various city departments and bureaus, the mayor’s office, City Council President Nury Martinez’ office and community organizations, including the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the City Coalition of Unions.
The program will test partnership models for recruitment, hiring, training and mentoring with a focus on expanding city employment opportunities for people in low-income communities.
“As the economy recovers and we begin hiring again, we will need to urgently fill hundreds of critical positions in order to maintain and enhance the integrity of our infrastructure and fulfill the mission of this department,” Good said. “This program will ensure that we are ready with a workforce model that ensures a diverse and highly trained workforce that truly represents all Angelenos.”
The efforts are aligned with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s various executive directives that focus on workforce development and equity.
“The Los Angeles labor movement commends the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Public Works on the motion today and celebrates the beginnings of a plan for recovery centered around inclusion,” said Ron Herrera, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO President. “We look forward to helping shape the steps they are taking for long-overdue equity and investment in marginalized communities.”