When Local Models Influence National Practice

On December 19, 2019, the United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration selected LA:RISE to be featured on WorkforceGPS as an innovative approach to the design and delivery of employment services.

The interview I participated in, filmed earlier that year, focused on LA:RISE’s partnership model and the role of City collaboration in expanding pathways to employment for people navigating barriers to economic opportunity. The feature was developed as a resource for workforce professionals nationwide to explore promising practices that could inform or be replicated in other communities.

The recognition held additional meaning because the Department of Labor served as LA:RISE’s first funding source before the initiative later expanded Countywide.

On the same day the WorkforceGPS feature was released, I attended Engage LA at the Getty House, the official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles. More than 300 guests gathered around the theme, “Gift of Giving,” with remarks from Mayor Eric Garcetti and First Lady Amy Elaine Wakeland.

The event highlighted organizations and businesses that balance purpose with profit, including efforts that benefit communities experiencing homelessness.

The experience reinforced something I continue to see: Economic opportunity and community impact become stronger when partnerships, innovation, and shared responsibility intersect.