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Three people wearing aprons and hair sets help pour an orange-colored salad dressing into a container in the kitchen of a cafe.

Commentary

How technology can lower barriers to employment for Californians with disabilities

Californians with disabilities face barriers that can seem insurmountable when they enter the workforce. New technology can break down barriers, but businesses need better planning and training.

By Matt Cherry • March 14, 2025

A person with black curly hair and wearing a brown shirt leans down as they touch a piece of robotic machine.

Commentary

On-the-job robotics training propels California teen toward a career in engineering

Nikhil Kaul, a Bay area high school senior, hopes his robotics apprenticeship will help him follow in the footsteps of his parents, who are both engineers.

By Denise Amos • March 11, 2025

Two construction workers at a job site between residential buildings, wearing safety gear. One person, in a pink and black jacket with an orange hard hat and headlamp, looks to the side. The other, wearing a neon yellow safety vest, white hard hat, and red gloves, looks downward. The setting sun casts long shadows, and a palm tree stands in the background.

Commentary

Equalizing opportunity: California group forms union to help Black carpenters, apprentices

Historically, Black carpenters faced discrimination by predominantly white unions. Now in California the unions are mostly Latino, but Blacks face similar obstacles.

By Abdur-Rahim Hameed • February 14, 2025

A close up view of a person wearing a green welding jacket and black helmet.

Commentary

‘Just for a man’: Ex-apprentice explains why she’s one of the few female ironworkers in California

Rocio Campos completed a four-year apprenticeship but still feels she has to prove herself. It shouldn't be so hard for women to get ironwork jobs, she says.

By Denise Amos • February 3, 2025

Commentary

On-the-job training helps California intern see herself as a future transit CEO

Viviana Mendoza used to hope to be like her father, a bus attendant who cleans LA Metro buses. As an intern in the Metro CEO’s office, she now dreams of running the transit agency.

By Denise Amos • January 22, 2025

A firefighter wearing full protective gear, including a helmet and respirator, bends down to operate a power saw on a wet asphalt surface. In the background, other firefighters work near a white car surrounded by smoke, holding hoses and wearing similar gear. The scene takes place outdoors under a clear sky, with utility poles and trees visible in the distance.

Education

Fact check: Did Gavin Newsom really help create 625,000 new job opportunities in California?

In 2018, Newsom promised to add 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. The state is making progress, but how much depends on the definition of “apprenticeship.”

By Adam Echelman • January 21, 2025

A teacher hands a piece of a banana to a toddler sitting near a small wooden table next to other toddlers at a daycare. Different colored sippy cups can been seen on the table.

Economy

Employers use onsite daycare to attract employees

Some large employers have started offering onsite daycare services as a perk to attract employees.

By Zayna Syed • January 10, 2025

A group of individuals collaborates in an automotive workshop, focusing on a wiring and assembly project. Three participants, wearing safety glasses and gloves, are engaged in hands-on work with the wiring and components of a metallic frame. An instructor or mentor, also wearing safety glasses, stands nearby, guiding them attentively.

Commentary

California teens earn a lot more than cash and college credits as they learn to fix cars

California needs 5,600 more auto technicians to meet the current demand. A dual credit program in Los Angeles County is training students at car dealerships, providing much more than apprenticeship-style training and wages.

By Denise Amos • January 7, 2025

A small group of individuals sits around a table in a classroom-like environment, engaged in discussion and reviewing printed materials. A banner on the wall reads "Central California Women's Facility Media Center." Behind the participants, computer monitors are arranged on desks. The atmosphere appears collaborative and focused, with participants exchanging ideas and referencing documents.

Commentary

Waiting in silence: How California’s first media center inside a women’s prison came to life

The creation this year of a media center inside the Central California Women’s Facility, which culminated in the launch of the Paper Trail, has finally given a voice to the women who have long been an afterthought in the state's prison system.

By Jesse Vasquez • December 30, 2024

Two workers in yellow and orange safety vests stand on an underground subway platform. One worker speaks to two people on a train, as the doors remain open. Another person walks by and observes the conversation. The train remains stopped at the station.

California Divide

This foundation tries to get young Californians into transportation jobs

The California Transportation Foundation hosts events designed to foster interest and inspire younger Californians to enter the industry.

By Zayna Syed • December 23, 2024