Los Angeles World Airport celebrates graduation of HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Programme

Los Angeles World Airport HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Programme celebrated the graduation of its 425th pre-apprentice and 19th cohort. Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports

Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA)’s HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Programme celebrated the graduation of its 425^th pre-apprentice and 19^th cohort.

The milestone follows the initiative’s receipt of $1 million of federal grant money in the summer of 2023, presented by Congresswoman Maxine Waters. With a mission of maximising the positive local economic impact of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)’s multimillion-dollar transformation, HireLAX provides free training, career opportunities and ongoing mentorship for individuals from the airport’s surrounding communities.

To mark the occasion of the programme’s latest achievements and graduates, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, Deputy Mayor Brenda Shockley, Board of Airport Commissioners President Karim Webb, LAWA’s Chief Executive Officer John Ackerman and Chief Development Officer Terri Mestas, President of Los Angeles Southwest College Dr. Anthony Culpepper and Los Angeles/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council Representative Chad Boggio convened at Los Angeles Southwest College.

“When my mom got a union job at LAX, it changed my family’s life,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez. “It’s heart-warming to see the HireLAX graduates on the road to that same experience while filling critical roles in our city.”

Since its inception in 2017, HireLAX has graduated 425 students and placed 285 of them in construction and trade roles, with the graduates earning over $17.5 million collectively. Of the 27 graduates acknowledged at the latest ceremony, 19% are women, 48% are Hispanic or Latino, 48% are Black or African American and 19% have had prior involvement with the criminal justice system. Each of them is now ready to pursue and flourish in construction and trade careers.

“As we invest billions of dollars to transform our airports, we can also transform lives through new economic pathways and local investment,” said John Ackerman, Chief Executive Officer, LAWA. “HireLAX uplifts members of our communities by providing them with family-supporting wages and rewarding jobs, while also helping us meet our need for skilled labour to modernise our airports.”

A key programme within LAWA’s growing number of inclusivity initiatives – and one that is creating a template for how to authentically engage with and support communities – HireLAX has gained attention in California and beyond. In 2022, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg held a roundtable discussion with HireLAX graduates. During his conversations, Secretary Buttigieg and learned first-hand how HireLAX provides life-changing opportunities that also help to meet LAWA’s critical need for trained construction workers.

HireLAX represents a collaboration between LAWA, Los Angeles Southwest College and the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. Together, these partners ready students for their future careers through a free eight-week training that focuses on construction best practices, mathematics, physical education, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and other relevant subjects. LAWA’s inclusion-driven procurement model requires contractors performing work on LAWA projects to meet or exceed 30% local hire participation and the HireLAX programme creates a pipeline for Angelenos to earn these jobs.

Developed within the framework of LAWA’s Project Labour Agreement (PLA), HireLAX 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 had access to employment opportunities on construction projects, placing a special emphasis on underrepresented minorities and women. The PLA was extended by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners for an additional 10 years, to 2030, in November 2020.