LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Who: The City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board and Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) are presenting a summit that examines the intersecting lines between the early care and education field and Los Angeles County's broader workforce development strategies.
What: The 8th annual Crossroads Summit seeks to help solidify the future direction of the early care and education (ECE) workforce in Los Angeles County—for young children, their parents, the ECE workforce and the larger economy.
Named "LA's Workforce at the Crossroads Summit: The Essential Role of Early Care and Education and Its Workforce," the event will feature experts in workforce development, education, government and philanthropy discussing topics such as:
- Career pathways, including ECE work experience opportunities for youth and young adults
- Increasing the availability of high-quality ECE
- The alarming shortage of qualified workers in the ECE field
- The lack of accessible quality ECE and the strains this void puts on working parents
- Leveraging workforce development resources in support of ECE
Speakers include Senator Carol Liu; Gregg Irish, executive director of the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board; Tim Rainey, executive director of the California Workforce Development Board; Kim Belshé, executive director of First 5 LA; Bill Allen, President and CEO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and more.
Why: The Crossroads Summit has a track record of acting as a catalyst for substantive and sustainable change for our county's workforce, including being an impetus for policy improvements affecting at-risk youth, disadvantaged adults, veterans and more. This year is unique because it provides an unprecedented opportunity to substantiate the need for public and private investment in sector-driven early care and education. In a national climate recognizing the importance of high-quality early care and education, the summit will highlight the benefits that having access to quality ECE yields working parents. Furthermore, it will explore long-term solutions to improving and expanding LA County's ECE workforce as well as conditions for those it impacts.
Where: The Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When: October 14, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and October 15, 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
About City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board
The City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board (WDB) oversees the expenditure of more than $50 million in public funds annually. Board members are appointed by the Mayor from the leadership ranks of the education, economic development and organized labor fields as well as other key players in the Los Angeles economy. The WDB, made up of representatives from businesses, labor organizations, educational institutions, and community organizations, helps to design and implement a local workforce development policy.
About LAUP
LAUP is a 10-year-old non-profit organization whose mission is to support the development of the whole child, grow a qualified and diverse workforce, and strengthen family engagement in order to promote access and program excellence. Since 2005, LAUP has prepared more than 100,000 children for kindergarten and beyond by funding, rating and raising the level of quality preschool programs throughout Los Angeles County. laup.net
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http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=36807
