Los Angeles Regional Consortium to Map High Growth Industries and Employers in Los Angeles County
Assessment will Inform Community College Career Education Programs to Meet the Future Demands of the Regional Economy
July 27, 2023 – The Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC) is launching a regional needs assessment of key industries and employers in Los Angeles County to further align community college curricula to meet the needs of the future workforce.
“The Los Angeles Regional Consortium relies on data, including this ambitious regional assessment project, to continuously improve solutions that bridge the gap between our current workforce skill sets and the future needs of L.A.’s key employers,” said Dr. Narineh Makijan, Assistant Vice President and Regional Chair for LARC.
47 percent of California’s employers are seeking middle-skilled employees, however there is a statewide gap between these desired skills and the current workforce. LARC was formed to better connect career technical education programs (CTE) at community colleges with the current and future needs of employers specifically in the L.A. region, among other purposes. The commissioned needs assessment will serve to advance this goal for the whole region.
LARC, through its research partner, ArroyoWest LLC, will interview Los Angeles County employers in pre-identified priority and emerging industries to find out what needs, skills, specialized trainings, and certifications future employees will need to succeed in those sectors. Importantly, the assessment will look sub-regionally to support the unique job landscape and future hiring needs within communities supported by LARC’s 19 colleges. The scale of this assessment to examine the far-reaching communities across L.A. is the most ambitious research for LARC to date.
“Los Angeles’s economy is a dynamic kaleidoscope of businesses and industries in subregions working together to be the state’s economic engine,” stated LARC Co-Chair and President of Los Angeles Harbor college, Dr. Luis Dorado. “That is why we are capturing this data on a subregional level which, in my opinion, will make the study all the more impactful for long-term curriculum development.”
Once the interviews are completed, the results will be compiled and compared to the current curricula of the 19 LARC campuses, along with recommendations to bridge the remaining gaps. The interviews will take place throughout the summer.
“In commissioning this unique study of our regional economic needs through an employer and job readiness lens, LARC is leading the way in addressing the chronic challenges faced by both employers and job seekers,” concluded Los Angeles Regional Consortium Co-Chair and President of Cerritos college, Dr. Jose Fierro.
If you are an employer in Los Angeles County, we invite you to participate in this effort and share your input. Please email Mark Villalovos at Mark.Villalovos@arroyowest.com and mention the LARC Regional Assessment by Friday, August 18, 2023.
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About LARC
The Los Angeles Regional Consortium is the coordinating body for LA’s 19 community colleges. LARC does what no one college can do alone. LARC leverages the consortium’s voice in every conversation in every corner of LA County to promote career and technical education and bridge the gap between employers, students, educators, and industry. LARC’s primary goal is to give everyone a chance for a better career and to advance LA’s innovative economy.
To learn more about the Los Angeles Regional Consortium, please visit www.losangelesrc.org.
About ArroyoWest
ArroyoWest LLC is a minority-owned management consulting firm based in California. Since 2019, we have helped our clients achieve their goals through program design and implementation, project management, market research and analysis, communications, government relations, partnership development, data analytics and research. For more information, please visit www.arroyowest.com.
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Media Contact:
Maria Bojorquez-Gomez
mariabg@strategies360.com
