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Education, business, labor and workforce-development leaders gathered Wednesday at Pasadena City College for a summit on expanding economic opportunity for working-class Californians.
By News Desk
The event, *California’s Next Economy: Building Pathways to Economic Mobility*, was convened by the Latino Working Class Project. Discussions focused on how colleges, employers, labor organizations and workforce-training programs can better prepare Californians for family-sustaining careers amid rising living costs and economic uncertainty.
The summit included findings from a statewide survey of 600 Latino likely voters. Ninety-four percent said the cost of living was extremely or very important, while 64% said California was on the wrong track. At the same time, 64% responded positively to the idea that hard work should enable families to build a better life for their children.
“California’s Latino working class is telling us very clearly that affordability and economic opportunity are shaping how they see their future in this state,” said Mike Madrid, executive director of the Latino Working Class Project. “The aspiration to build a better life is still there, but the status quo isn’t delivering for working families.”
The summit also featured *The State of Higher Education for Latinx Californians*, a report by the Campaign for College Opportunity commissioned in partnership with the Latino Working Class Project. The report examines college preparation, access and completion, and higher education’s role in economic mobility.
Speakers included Pasadena City College President José A. Gómez; Campaign for College Opportunity President Jessie Ryan; California Business Roundtable President Rob Lapsley; Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary Ernesto Medrano; and Cecilia Dillard of Northrop Grumman.
A regional discussion highlighted Pasadena City College’s Skills to Rebuild initiative, which is expanding skilled-trades education in response to the Eaton fire and the region’s rebuilding needs. The initiative includes plans for a Regional Career Education and Construction Training Center and a Construction Trades Lab.
“By creating clearer pathways to careers and fostering relationships that assist our students with apprenticeships, we build family-sustaining careers and a better future for all,” Gómez said.
As Altadena rebuilds after the fire, participants examined how education, apprenticeships, skilled trades and employer-led training could strengthen the regional workforce and improve economic security for families across the San Gabriel Valley.
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