Congresswoman Laura Richardson Announces $12 Million Grant to Fund the LA Reconnections Career Academy

Press Release

Congresswoman Laura Richardson announced today that the LA Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) has been awarded $12 million through the Workforce Innovation Fund. A total of $146.9 million in Workforce Innovation Fund grants have been awarded to state workforce agencies throughout the country to develop innovative approaches to help Americans return to work. These grants will help to ensure that programs and funding are delivered more efficiently and will strive to create partnerships with specific employers and industry sectors to address employment needs within communities.

"Ensuring that the constituents of my district are able to have a smooth transition into the workforce has always been a big priority for me. I have worked very hard on this initiative and am pleased to see it coming to fruition. The people of Los Angeles deserve to have a program looking out for their job interests," said Congresswoman Laura Richardson.

The LA Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) is a career development collaborative that will recruit 1,380 youth and young adults to work toward building a system of workforce development services for out of school youth. LARCA will use the $12 million grant to supply education services, career pathways training in Construction, Green Technology and Healthcare that lead to industry recognized certificates and employment, and will create a fast track to employment for those within 12 months of receiving their high school diploma or equivalency.

The Workforce Innovation Fund was created to cultivate innovative approaches to workforce training. The grants will also include an evaluation component that will assess the current strategies employed by the workforce agencies to ensure that programs are operating effectively and working to serve the current and future needs of jobseekers in today's economy.

"These funds are of vital importance to address the plight of unemployed and I thank Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for awarding this "Workforce Innovation Fund" grant to LARCA," said Congresswoman Laura Richardson

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