SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom announced new funding to expand construction workforce training programs aimed at accelerating recovery and rebuilding efforts across Los Angeles following devastating wildfires.
The workforce development initiative is supported through the Governor’s LA Rises recovery effort, in partnership with the Walter Family Foundation and state workforce recovery funding. The program is designed to strengthen the region’s construction labor pipeline at a time when rebuilding demands have surged.
“Wildfires have changed the scale of what this region needs, not just in homes, but in people with the skills to rebuild them. Through LA Rises, California is meeting this moment with urgency. We’re investing in the workforce that recovery depends on so rebuilding strengthens communities and creates real pathways into good-paying careers,” Governor Gavin Newsom said.
State officials emphasized that workforce readiness is now a critical component of long-term disaster recovery, especially as Los Angeles faces years of reconstruction following the Palisades and Eaton fires.
“This lab is workforce infrastructure for a region in recovery,” said California Secretary of Labor Stewart Knox. “Rebuilding Los Angeles will take years and thousands of skilled workers. Our role is to ensure workers are ready to meet what this moment demands, so recovery restores both homes and livelihoods.”
Over the past year, LA Rises has worked to connect local governments, workers, and small businesses with resources needed to speed rebuilding. These efforts have included deploying an AI-powered tool to accelerate building permit reviews and launching a centralized online resource to help fire survivors navigate the rebuilding process.
A major focus of the funding is the Construction Trades Lab at Pasadena City College (PCC), which will modernize hands-on training facilities and expand enrollment capacity for skilled trades education. Over the past three years, nearly 2,400 students have enrolled in PCC programs covering construction, carpentry, welding, electrical technology, design technology, and machine shop training.
The new lab is supported through a blend of public funding and a $2.8 million philanthropic contribution from the Walter Family Foundation, mobilized through LA Rises. Additional state support includes $500,000 from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, designated specifically for workforce development tied to wildfire recovery.
During the project’s groundbreaking, Secretary Knox joined PCC students and faculty in a hands-on build event with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, constructing walls and panels that will be used to rebuild a home destroyed in the Eaton fire.
Beyond construction trades, PCC is also expanding workforce development through a manufacturing training program funded by the Employment Training Panel (ETP). Through this initiative, the college received approximately $408,000 to train 218 workers in advanced manufacturing, leadership, and supply chain management, supporting both worker advancement and regional economic resilience.
The workforce investment comes amid broader state actions to support businesses and workers impacted by the wildfires. Over the past year, the Governor has issued executive orders to defer licensing fees, waive regulatory barriers, and extend tax filing deadlines for affected Los Angeles County businesses.
The administration has also deployed more than 200 business advisors across the region through Small Business Support Centers to assist with loans, insurance claims, workforce planning, and recovery strategies. Additionally, CalOSBA launched a wildfire recovery resource guide and bilingual training sessions to help small businesses navigate rebuilding.
State leaders contrasted California’s recovery efforts with the federal government’s delay in approving long-term disaster funding for Los Angeles wildfire survivors. Governor Newsom recently renewed calls for Congress and the President to approve a disaster supplemental to fund rebuilding of homes, schools, childcare centers, infrastructure, and water systems.
Funding, the administration said, would help keep small businesses open, preserve jobs, restore essential services, and improve air quality monitoring — supporting both local residents and the broader national economy tied to the Los Angeles region.
More information on recovery efforts is available at ca.gov/lafires.
Originally reported by Governor California Government.
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