LAEDC’s workforce development program exists to create economic mobility and equity, support the talent needs of business, and align education with evolving industry trends. Workforce development is integrated into LAEDC’s research, business assistance, industry council work — and the fabric of our mission. We work in both the strategic leadership capacity to support systems change and in a programmatic action level to drive progress.
The LAEDC vision is a reimagined Los Angeles regional economy – growing, equitable, sustainable, and resilient – that provides a healthy and high standard of living for all. To this end, our workforce development team has the privilege of leading LAEDC’s workforce development initiatives, which includes our Center for a Competitive Workforce partnership with our region’s 19 community colleges, that integrates LAEDC’s research, industry cluster work, business assistance and intelligence as the locus of our strategic, programmatic, public policy, and transactional activities to strengthen our region’s talent development ecosystem and meet our changing labor market demands.
Why Partner with LAEDC?
- Employers: Maximize reach across our region’s 21 community colleges, 5 California State Universities, 7 workforce development boards, 100 universities/colleges, non-profits, unions, and elected leaders.
- Education, Workforce and Government: lever LAEDC’s research, industry cluster work, business assistance and intelligence to strengthen your institution’s ability to meet changing, current and future labor market demands.
- Government, philanthropy, stakeholders: Looking to invest in the intra-relational infrastructure to solidify regional industry and education partnerships (high road training partnerships) needed to create a strong and deep talent pipeline into living wage careers.
Cornerstone 1:
LAEDC thought leadership
LAEDC facilitates and leads collaborative, demand-driven, future-forward and scalable systems change in our talent development systems.
Cornerstone 2:
LAEDC analysis of supply & demand for talent in the LA labor market guides our work
LAEDC and our Institute for Applied Economics continue to publish forward-looking reports that serve as a foundation for systems change in our talent development systems. Known for objectivity, transparency and consistent quality, LAEDC’s reports help guide decision makers in education, government, business and labor.
- Four Year Universities: Addressing the Knowledge Worker Talent Gap in LA County
- Industry Clusters in LA County: employment, occupations, wages, trends and forecasts
- Essential Frontline Workers during COVID (for CCW)
- Manufacturing (for CCW)
- Protective Services (for CCW)
- Information Communication Technologies (for CCW)
- Entertainment and the Rise of Digital Media (for CCW)
- Construction (for CCW)
- Health Care (for CCW)
- Professional Services (for CCW)
- High Growth Occupations (for CCW)
- People, Industries & Jobs (LAEDC)
- For more reports, click here
Cornerstone 3:
Industry Councils
Our industry councils facilitate education partnerships with industry for course development and the identification of talent development trends. Industry councils also address key issues that can accelerate the growth of jobs and businesses in the regional industry. Hosted by LAEDC with key industry leaders and invited industry firms to enhance, institutionalize and scale industry participation with the community colleges and other workforce development systems.
- Digital Media & Entertainment Council (DME) Recent: Creating Art Through the Pandemic
- SoCal Aerospace Council Recent: SoCal Aero Council w/ Aerovironment, County’s Fair Chance initiative
- Electric and Advanced Transportation (e4 Alliance) Recent: ZEV auto technician career opportunity strong
- Bioscience Workforce Council Recent: May 15, 2020 Bioscience Workforce Development Council Meeting
Cornerstone 4:
Curricula feedback via Regional Program Advisories
Insights on talent, technology, and training inform existing or new curricula via our regional program advisories. LAEDC, through the CCW partnership, convenes regional employers to engage faculty, administrators and college staff to hear employers critique and make recommendations on the program of each of the colleges in attendance, which are compiled into high-quality Look Books. In the fast-moving economic changes during COVID, this exchange of ideas is incredibly necessary. Recent progress below.
- Animation (11/13/2020)
- Automotive Technician (11/6/2020)
- Cloud Computing (5/28/2020)
- Water Industry (5/28/2020)
- Respiratory Care (5/22/2020)
- Accounting (5/21/2020)
- Paralegal/Legal Assistant (5/12/2020)
- Global Trade and Logistics (2/21/2020)
Cornerstone 5:
Industry Employer Direct Engagement
LAEDC has the deep relationships with industry to bring employers to the table to inform workforce development and drive work-based learning partnerships. See the sampling below:
Workforce Development Team at LAEDC

Jessica Ku Kim
Sr. Director Workforce Development

Shannon Sedgwick
Director of LAEDC’s Institute for Applied Economics

Claire Anderson
Workforce Development Program Manager
email Claire

Isabel Duran
Administrative Manager
email Isabel
Supply Chain
and Logistics:
Northrop Grumman Corporation |
Nautilus International Holding Corporation |
Los Angeles World Airports |
American Airlines |
Port of Los Angles |
BGI Worldwide Logistics |
Paralegal and
Legal Assistant:
RoofTop Management, Inc. |
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe |
Nixon Peabody, LLP |
Southern California Edison |
RMO, LLP |
Accounting:
KPMG, LLP |
RSM |
Los Angeles County Office of the Assessor |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
Vasquez & Company |
Green Hasson Janks |
Takeda, Los Angeles Site |
Respiratory
Therapy:
Cedars Sinai Medical Center |
CHOC Children’s Hospital |
Valley Presbyterian Hospital |
UCLA Medical Center |
Water and
Wastewater
Treatment and
Distribution:
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California |
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power |
Water Replenishment District |
San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District |
Perc Water Corporation |
Cloud
Computing:
Amazon Web Services |
Los Angeles Metro |
Slalom Consulting |
Think AI Corporation |
CDW Integrated Technology Solutions |
Automotive
Technician:
Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association |
LA Metro |
Constellis |
Canoo |
UPS |
City of Long Beach |
Animation:
DreamWorks |
Walt Disney Animation Studio |
Bento Box Entertainment |
Nickelodeon |
Netflix |
FarSight Studios |