How Better Workforce Development Systems and Community-Centered Reconstruction Can Go Hand In Hand - by Kabira Stokes

Profiteers were on the prowl before the Eaton and Palisades fires were even extinguished. But the massive project of the cleanup and rebuilding cannot be yet another example of what Naomi Klein coined "disaster capitalism." 

We must rebuild as much as we can in the models of both climate and community resilience. This means looking with a new eye to old traditions – indigenous traditions – of land and water management and a vast re-thinking of our systems of disaster preparedness. (Clear thoughts and recommendations around this are outlined in a petition circulated by indigenous leaders and others.)

At the same time, there is a unique opportunity to reimagine workforce development for the Los Angeles region. When we see that 30% of local wildfire fighters are underpaid incarcerated people, do we not owe it to these brave men and women, regardless of their past, to think about the opportunities available to them once they come home? 

In the inspiring tradition of Homeboy Industries, let's take the massive rebuild ahead and infuse it with culturally competent workforce training, open to the full Los Angeles community, in the fields of remediation, construction, landscaping, stormwater capture, infrastructure maintenance and more. And let's let this training lead to family sustaining, and when appropriate, union jobs.

The Current Landscape

Workforce training programs for construction trades like masonry, carpentry, and electrical work typically provide only entry-level certifications that fall short of the qualifications needed for union membership, requiring graduates to complete additional apprenticeships lasting 3-5 years. This critical transition to becoming a journeyman in unions remains particularly challenging for underrepresented groups. Historical patterns of Unions’ discrimination against Black and Latino workers (despite Latinos comprising a significant percentage of the region's construction workforce), women and those with criminal records persist through practices such as nepotistic referral systems, subjective interview processes, culturally biased aptitude tests, and deliberately limited information about application windows — barriers that contribute to a considerable wage gap between union and non-union construction workers.

In addition, Southern California faces a paradoxical labor challenge: widespread unemployment and underemployment exist alongside unfilled positions in critical sectors. The construction, green infrastructure, and disaster remediation industries frequently report labor shortages, yet many Angelenos remain unable to access these opportunities. This disconnect stems from several systemic failures:

• First, traditional workforce development programs often operate in isolation from actual employment opportunities. Training frequently ends with a certificate rather than a job, leaving participants to navigate the employment landscape alone. For communities already facing discrimination, this final step can prove insurmountable.
• Second, many training programs fail to address the comprehensive needs of participants. Transportation challenges, childcare responsibilities, language barriers, and housing instability can all prevent consistent participation, particularly for low-income residents in a city with notorious transit limitations and high living costs.
• Third, the fragmentation of the LA’s workforce development ecosystem creates a bewildering array of programs without clear pathways between them. Potential participants struggle to identify which programs might lead to genuine opportunities, while employers often remain disconnected from training initiatives that could supply needed workers.

The Disaster Recovery Connection

The aftermath of disasters provides a unique opportunity to address these systemic failures. The urgent need for remediation, rebuilding, and long-term infrastructure maintenance creates a sustained demand for skilled labor that could support thousands of new jobs. However, without intentional intervention, these opportunities will likely flow through traditional channels, reinforcing existing inequities.

The parallels to wildfire response are instructive. The reliance on incarcerated individuals for firefighting labor — paid pennies on the dollar for dangerous work — represents an exploitative model that extracts labor without providing sustainable pathways to employment. Despite gaining valuable skills and experience, many formerly incarcerated firefighters face barriers to employment in municipal fire departments upon release, including prohibitions based on criminal history.

Similarly, the rebuilding of Los Angeles risks perpetuating a two-tiered system: well-compensated, union jobs for those with existing connections and access, alongside underpaid, precarious work for everyone else. This pattern has repeatedly played out in post-disaster contexts across the country.

Community-Centered Solutions

Addressing the workforce training gap requires a fundamental rethinking of how we approach both training and employment. Organizations like Homeboy Industries demonstrate the effectiveness of holistic approaches that combine skills development with wraparound support services, trauma-informed practices, and direct pathways to employment. Specific to the construction trades, this model has been explored, with some success by organizations like PUSH Buffalo and Justice Capital.

Applied to disaster recovery, this model could transform reconstruction efforts into vehicles for community economic development. Community-based organizations with established relationships in underserved neighborhoods could serve as intermediaries, coordinating training that leads directly to employment opportunities in rebuilding projects.

These efforts must include:

1. Pre-apprenticeship programs that prepare participants for union apprenticeships, with formal agreements ensuring that graduates receive priority consideration
2. Subsidized on-the-job training that allows employers to hire inexperienced workers while they develop skills
3. Mentorship programs that pair experienced tradespeople with new workers from underrepresented groups
4. Community workforce agreements that establish local hiring requirements, wage standards, and career pathways for publicly funded reconstruction projects
5. Support for entrepreneurship that enables community members to establish businesses that can participate in rebuilding as contractors and subcontractors

Policy Framework

Creating an equitable workforce development ecosystem requires policy intervention at multiple levels. Los Angeles should:

1. Establish a centralized coordination body that aligns training programs with actual employment needs and opportunities
2. Dedicate a percentage of disaster recovery funds specifically to workforce development initiatives targeting underrepresented communities
3. Remove barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated individuals in municipal positions related to disaster response and recovery
4. Create financial incentives for developers and contractors who participate in workforce training programs and hire locally
5. Invest in childcare, transportation support, and housing stability programs specifically designed for workforce training participants

By approaching disaster recovery through this lens, Los Angeles can turn crisis into opportunity—not through exploitative disaster capitalism, but through a deliberate strategy of community investment and empowerment. The workforce training gap can become a bridge to a more equitable future, where the necessary work of rebuilding creates pathways to prosperity for those who have been systematically excluded.

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Kabira Stokes is the founder of Homeboy Electronics Recycling and holds a Master of Public Policy from USC.