100 years of championing for Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Urban League is on a mission to bring workforce development programming to hard-to-reach individuals.
The Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) has been a staple in the community for the past century, promoting economic empowerment through education and job training, home ownership and community development, workforce development, entrepreneurship, health, and quality of life for those in underserved communities.
Workforce development has been a main focus for the LAUL, and they’ve created a dynamic program with options ranging from in-house training, partnerships with local businesses and colleges, and career paths ranging from the medical field, entertainment industry, construction, insurance and beyond.
“Folks come in with a desire to do better, earn better and develop professionally,” says Jamecca Marshall, Vice President of Programs for Los Angeles Urban League. “We help people find career paths that align with their skills or passions and that can ultimately lead to great paying careers where they can find security in.”
The LAUL is intentional about helping individuals find pathways where they can grow in instead of jobs that are so specific and limiting their options.
“Transitioning to a new career can be challenging,” says Marshall. “We work to make sure whatever someone’s career ambitions are, we can provide the resources and guidance to help achieve their goals.”
Providing that support and career guidance goes far beyond the success of one person, it makes an impact for the whole family and community.
“We had one gentleman come to us who was all about working with sheet metal,” says Marshall. “He was a very hard worker who wanted to get serious about his career to better support his four daughters. He started on a construction path, but we showed him another path with an apprenticeship opportunity with SoCal Gas. He was very excited about trying a new path and found success there. Now he has a great paying career and can support his daughters, including one who just started college. He’s been an inspiration to many others finding their right career paths.”
The Los Angeles Urban League has built a great reputation over the course of their 100 years serving Los Angeles and they use that reputation to help other organizations with similar missions who may be newer or smaller.
“We partner with local nonprofits, small businesses, large corporations and individuals,” says Marshall. “Whether it’s outreach to those who need our help, finding volunteers career coaching, or partnering with local businesses to match untapped talent with great career paths — it takes the whole community.”
While Los Angeles Urban League celebrates a successful centennial, they’re also setting big goals for the future.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done to help the African American and other underserved communities create multigenerational wealth, increase home ownership, and support entrepreneurs and small businesses,” says Marshall. “We want to create cultural synergies and stabilization in our communities and overall increase overall Black wealth by $1 billion over the next ten years.”
There are several ways for everyone to get involved with the work LAUL is driving. From working with companies and their hiring practices to bring in new talent pipelines, to providing volunteer opportunities to mentor, conduct mock interviews and resume critiques — learn more about getting involved with The League here.
