For Immediate Release 
June 14, 2019

Contact: 
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260

HIRELAX APPRENTICESHIP READINESS PROGRAM GRADUATES FIFTH CLASS, REGISTRATION OPENS FOR NEXT COHORT

(Los Angeles, CA) Family and friends of graduates from the fifth HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program's (ARP) class gathered today at Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) to celebrate the completion of an eight-week apprenticeship readiness curriculum. Today’s 29 graduates, all of whom live in the City of Los Angeles or areas closely surrounding LAX, are now ready to pursue apprenticeships in the construction trades, which will allow them to be hired onto projects at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

In a video message played at today's graduation ceremony, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shared, "On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, it is my privilege to celebrate the graduates of the fifth HireLAX class. We are so proud of all that you have accomplished. I want you to know that L.A. is going to continue to stand by you, and work with you to ensure that you are met with opportunities and not obstacles. From the new Midfield Satellite Concourse to the upcoming Automated People Mover train, you are helping to build an even stronger Los Angeles, and a better airport - an enduring gift that will be with us for generations to come. Los Angeles is going places, and you are helping us get there.”

HireLAX is a partnership between Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), LASC and the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. This workforce development program prepares local residents for skilled craft labor careers to support the multibillion-dollar capital improvement program at LAX. Today's class is the second of 2019, and the fifth class of the program.

"During the HireLAX program, these students showed that they have what it takes to be successful in a career in construction, impressing our instructors with their drive, perseverance and commitment to excellence," said Samson Mengistu, Chief Operating Officer, LAWA. "As we invest billions of dollars in the modernization and transformation of Los Angeles International Airport, we are proud to say that local workers are helping build the future of Los Angeles and our airport."

To date, 108 students have graduated the Hire LAX program. From the first four cohorts, 79 graduates, or 70 percent of the students, have accepted apprenticeships. Additionally, more than one-third of today's graduates have already received employment offers from LAWA contractors. 

"Los Angeles Southwest College is honored to again instruct the next HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program cohort on our campus," said Dr. Seher Awan, President, Los Angeles Southwest College. "With so many substantial building projects in Los Angeles, we believe our local community members should benefit from the opportunity to work on these construction sites. The HireLAX training will ensure that those committed to this program will be best prepared for these life-changing opportunities."

Contractors performing work on LAWA projects must meet or exceed 30 percent local participation with a workforce that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles. The HireLAX program trains local residents to earn these jobs. Under the HireLAX framework, program graduates will be connected with union apprenticeship programs and contractors, so they can begin their construction careers at LAX. 

"We are looking for new members," says Ron Miller, Executive Secretary, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, the umbrella group that organizes 48 local unions for skilled craft workers. "With HireLAX, we have a proven track record of bringing community members into the apprenticeship programs of the Building Trades. This puts them on course for lifelong careers with good wages and benefits, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Our partnership with LAX and its contractors continues to generate ambitious projects that create demand for the most skilled and trained workforce. HireLAX helps us grow that workforce."

The HireLAX program was developed within the framework of LAWA’s Project Labor Agreement (PLA), which is a partnership between LAWA, its contractors and the local construction unions. The PLA requires contractors and unions to refer local workers to the project and to conduct outreach to persons who have not previously qualified to be employed on construction projects, especially minorities and women. A substantial proportion of students who participate in the HireLAX program have experienced hardship, including homelessness or involvement with the criminal justice system. 

The LAWA PLA and the HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program are managed by Pasadena-based Parsons Corporation. 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. Nonprofits Flintridge Center, 2nd Call, and the County of Los Angeles and City of Los Angeles support services network provide comprehensive case management for students and graduates.

In May, the Flintridge Center received a grant of $25,000 from the Weingart Foundation, which will go directly toward supporting the center's work with HireLAX ARP, focused on helping students overcome personal and professional barriers to participation in the program and in maintaining employment thereafter.

The next HireLAX class is scheduled to begin July 8. For information and free registration, please click here. Registrants must attend a mandatory orientation and interview, which is scheduled for 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, at The Little Theater at LASC. For more information, contact Christina Watkins at (424) 646‑7192 or hirelax@lawa.org .

A short video that highlights the incredible impact HireLAX has on its graduates can be viewed here.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX, the fourth-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX. LAX served more than 87.5 million passengers in 2018 and offers an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 109 cities in the U.S. and 1,281 weekly nonstop flights to 93 markets in 47 countries on 69 commercial airlines. LAX ranks 10th in the world in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.4 million tons of air cargo. LAX handled 707,883 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2018.

LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion; $966 million in state and local taxes; and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues. 

LAX was honored as having the “Best Overall Customer Service Program” by Airports Council International-North America; named the “Best Airport for Breastfeeding Moms” by Mamava; selected for the Top 10 “Best of the U.S.’s Big Airports” (Wall Street Journal) and “Most Pet-Friendly Airports in the U.S. (Mental Floss); named the second-most improved airport in the U.S. by JD Power; received an “Innovation Award” from the L.A. Better Business Challenge for its Central Utility Plant; and named  a “Business Leader in Air Quality” by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

LAX is also the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.  

For more information about LAX, please visit   www.flyLAX.com or follow on Twitter  @flyLAXAirport, on Facebook at   www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport, and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1.  

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities.  Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.