A 25-strong group of HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program students has graduated.
HireLAX, which is free for participants, provides students with a training program focusing on specialized construction skills, physical fitness, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, CPR/first aid response, construction math, labor history, hands-on training, and visits to local union apprenticeship training programs and major construction projects at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Students also receive comprehensive case management funded by Los Angeles World Airports and provided by non-profits Flintridge Center and 2nd Call. Additional support services are provided by the County of Los Angeles and the City of Los Angeles at their America’s Job Centers and WorkSource/YouthSource Centers.
“Through our HireLAX program we have now placed more than 100 graduates in jobs, helping build the future of LAX through a career in the construction trades,” said Justin Erbacci, chief operating officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). “Los Angeles World Airports appreciates the collaboration of its many partners who make HIreLAX possible and we congratulate the newest graduates on this life-changing accomplishment.”
Upon graduation, LAWA coordinates employment opportunities with its construction contractors and facilitates entry into the apprenticeship programs affiliated with the construction unions signatory to the LAWA Project Labor Agreement. More than 70% of graduates from previous classes have already begun their construction careers at LAX or other nearby projects.
Contractors working on LAWA projects must meet or exceed 30% local participation, with a workforce that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles. The HireLAX program trains local residents to earn these jobs – this latest batch of students includes 12 graduates who live in the Airport Impact Area, communities closely surrounding LAX, with the remaining 13 from elsewhere in the City of Los Angeles. African American students account for 60% of the group, and Hispanic/ Latino students for the remainder, while 40% of the students have been involved with the criminal justice system.
The short video below highlights the impact HireLAX has on its graduates and provides some insight into what the program entails.