High Road Training Partnership Fund 2025

The Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) has launched the High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) Fund. Donor Name: Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity State: California County: Los Angeles County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/09/2025 Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The focus is on supporting key sectors significant to the regional economy and developing new or scaling HRTPs which have been validated by labor market data and industry demand. Goals Goal 1: Promote Equity Goal 2: Strengthen Economic Resilience Goal 3: Support Climate Resilience Goal 4: Improve Job Quality. Core Components of an HRTP HRTPs embody a bold and equity-focused approach to workforce development. To ensure that these programs effectively drive systemic change and foster an inclusive, resilient workforce, the following core components must be integral to all workforce development and training initiatives: Strong Partnerships. HRTPs require strong, cross-sector partnerships with intentional collaboration and coordination in design, delivery and achievement of training outcomes and systems change impacts. As demonstrated by a formal agreement, a strong partnership involves committed partners representing industry demand (i.e. employers, industry associations), worker voice (i.e. worker organizations, labor partners), and industry-informed training (i.e. educational institutions, training providers, community-based organizations), and connects to the County’s public workforce system. If awarded, DEO will establish a partnership between the awardee and the most appropriate LA County America’s Job Center of California and Center of Excellence. Worker-Centered. Worker-centered means the expertise and insights of workers are integrated at every stage of the partnership, ensuring their perspectives and contributions shape program need, design, implementation, and evaluation of impact. This is demonstrated by having workers and/or a worker organization as part of the partnership and clearly lifting how worker voice has shaped the HRTP at all levels. Industry-Driven. Industry-driven means identifying current and future industry-wide needs for a skilled workforce that can be solved for specific, local employers with a collaborative training solution. For example, an industry or employer may face vacancies due to expansion, require upskilling for new technologies or emerging occupations or projects, or seeks to employ local and targeted talent. Training Solutions. Training involves building a skilled workforce that meets current employer needs and adapts to future challenges. Training solutions must be designed to support success in participation, completion, and employment. This approach relies on collaboration between employers, industry leaders, workers, and training providers. Together, they ensure that HRTPs deliver industry-informed training and vetted curricula designed to meet industry standards, leading to successful employment roles and career pathways identified prior to HRTP implementation. Training solutions also include cash assistance and wraparound supportive services, recognizing that training alone is insufficient for success. The HRTP model is vital for Los Angeles County as it recovers from the pandemic-induced economic recession, negative economic impacts as a result of the recent wildfires and contends with widening income inequality. Economic Impact Equitable Recovery Rising Income Inequality Future-Proofing the Workforce. Funding Information The HRTP Fund will allocate approximately $17.8 million to support up to 20 partnerships that integrate the HRTP framework as outlined in this RFA. The HRTP Fund will fund partnerships at two stages of development drawn from the grant categories in the CWDB’s HRTP RFA. Stage 1: Piloting or Emerging Award range $500,000 to $1,000,000 Grant term 12 months Stage 2: Thriving and Growing Award range $750,000 to $1,000,000 Grant term 12 months. Targeted Populations The HRTP Fund will be open to applicants whose proposals serve 16+ aged individuals. Work authorization documents are not a requirement for HRTP participants. Applicants will be asked to select the target population(s) that will be recruited, enrolled, and served with this HRTP, ensuring that historically disinvested populations benefit from and are represented and supported in high-growth and opportunity industries. At minimum two from below should be selected. COVID-19 impacted individuals English language learners Immigrants & refugees Incumbent workers Justice-involved individuals Workers in low-wage industries Opportunity youth (ages 16-24)15 16 People experiencing homelessness People with disabilities Older workers Public assistance recipients Underemployed Low wage workers Low-income Unemployed Veterans Other historically disinvested communities. Eligibility Criteria HRTPs must take a holistic approach to address industry needs, worker advancement, equity, economic resilience, climate resilience, and job quality. To achieve this, per the HRTP framework, all HRTPs must include the partners listed below. All partners must be located in Los Angeles County. Convener: An effective partnership depends on a trusted convener that brings together workers, labor representatives, and employers, fosters collaboration, and facilitates workforce solutions. The convener plays a central role in guiding decision making, framing issues as opportunities or as challenges, and mediating conflicts to maintain alignment among partners. Serving as a unifying force, the convener advances the partnership’s mission and ensures successful implementation. In addition to excelling in collaboration, planning, management, data collection, and administration, the convener may also act as a training provider, employer, or worker representative. Conveners may include but are not limited to organizations such as worker centers, community-based organizations, community colleges, labor management partnerships. Employer: Employers contribute specialized knowledge to HRTPs by evaluating industry and workforce needs, developing collaborative solutions, and determining the skills and training required to adapt to industry changes and produce a highly qualified workforce. They identify opportunities for upskilling, upward mobility, and specialized training, as well as skills gaps. Employers also play a key role in creating pathways to quality jobs, supporting worker adjustment to the job environment, and negotiating the terms of training participation. Employers in the partnership commit to providing industry and employer-specific input, reviewing and vetting HRTP models and related program curricula, participating in the program model, committing to interview and hire and/or supporting hiring and advancement activities for HRTP participants, and evaluating the impact of the HRTP and approach on immediate hiring and training needs as well as achievement of systems change goals with the partnership. Labor or Worker Representative: Labor representatives ensure that workforce development strategies are worker-centered by identifying shared needs and challenges. They collaborate with employers to develop goals that address worker concerns, identify opportunities for equitable access to quality jobs, and support workers in adapting to job environments. Worker representatives also play a role in shaping training programs to ensure they meet workers’ needs for upskilling and mobility within the industry. Training providers: These organizations serve as an essential bridge between workforce training and the industry’s skill demands. Training providers, which can include community colleges, industry-specific training programs, and worker centered initiatives, ensure that education and training efforts are culturally responsive, inclusive, and aligned with labor market needs. Training providers may also take on multiple roles such as conveners or other implementation partners, contributing expertise to program design and delivery. Other implementation and service delivery organizations: These organizations, including community-based organizations, economic and environmental justice organizations, adult education schools, local workforce development boards can support key aspects of program implementation and delivery, including outreach, recruitment, goal and outcome refinement, supportive service delivery, and other critical efforts. Potential lead applicant and fiscal agent organizations include, but are not limited to: Worker centers, community-based organizations, and non-profit organizations Labor organizations, labor management partnerships, educational arms of labor organizations California Department of Education – Local Educational Agencies California Community College Districts and Adult Education Schools California State Registered Apprenticeship Programs Workforce intermediaries Local workforce development boards Industry-based training providers Industry-based intermediaries, including industry associations Employment Social Enterprises Cooperatives. For more information, visit DEO.