Career Ready College Grads

Income inequality

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) West LA Central LA East LA South LA San Fernando Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles faces some of the highest levels of income inequality in the nation, with stark disparities across race and zip code. While postsecondary education is a proven pathway to economic mobility, it is not enough—Black and Latino graduates with college degrees still earn up to $1 million less than White peers over their lifetime. These students, often from historically divested communities, lack access to professional skills, networks, and career-aligned guidance not by choice, but because they attend under-resourced schools, do not have exposure to high-growth industries, and face systemic barriers in both education and employment—limiting their ability to convert academic achievement into meaningful, high-wage careers. Investments in career readiness are essential to bridge the gap between education and employment, disrupt persistent wage inequities, and ensure young Angelenos—regardless of background—can participate in and benefit from Los Angeles’ diverse and growing economy.

To achieve lasting economic mobility and address income inequality in Los Angeles, students from lower-income and historically marginalized communities need more than access to college—they need strategic, sustained support to successfully transition into meaningful careers. With several years of investment and successful pilot initiatives embedded within our College Access and College Success programs, Fulfillment Fund is poised to take the next evolutionary step by formally launching Career Readiness as a third core service line. Grant funding will enable us to expand and deepen proven initiatives—including our Career Speaker and Spotlight Series, Career Expo, and alumni networking events—while scaling access to high-impact, resume-building experiences such as career-readiness workshops, internships, job shadowing, and structured mentoring. It will also support the creation of a Career Readiness Playbook and the hiring of a full-time Manager of Community Engagement & Partnerships to cultivate industry volunteers and partnerships. By equipping students with the professional skills, social capital, and career-aligned guidance often limited due to systemic inequities, this investment will help close the college-to-career gap and build a more equitable and economically vibrant Los Angeles.

By investing in Career Readiness, we will help make Los Angeles more equitable, inclusive, and economically resilient. Students from historically marginalized communities will not only earn college degrees but successfully transition into high-growth, living-wage careers—narrowing wage gaps and increasing representation in critical industries. Our two-year goal is for 50% of participating college graduates to secure a career-entry position within 12 months of graduation. This will reduce income inequality, support generational mobility, and strengthen our communities. Employers will gain access to a diverse, career-ready talent pipeline, addressing workforce shortages while enhancing innovation and equity. By formalizing and scaling our Career Readiness Program, we are building intentional, supported pathways from college to career—shifting systems that have long excluded underrepresented youth and positioning Los Angeles as a model for lasting opportunity and shared prosperity