LiftUp: Care. Train. Transform.

Access to tech and creative industry employment

East LA San Gabriel Valley Central LA

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

LA County is on the brink of a care crisis. By 2030, over 400,000 adults over 65 will need long-term services—a 50% increase since 2021. But today, senior care providers already struggle to fill essential roles. Chronic staff shortages are forcing facilities to cut programs, delay care, and overwork remaining staff. At the same time, people with disabilities, opportunity youth, and low-income individuals face steep, systemic barriers to education and employment. Most lack access to affordable, flexible, and paid training programs. Many are forced to choose between survival and advancement. Without intervention, LA will face both a collapsed elder care system and a generation locked out of meaningful work. We see these issues as deeply interconnected. Our solution—an inclusive, stipend-supported pathway into senior living careers—is not only timely, but essential to building a just and aging-ready Los Angeles.

LiftUp: Care. Train. Transform offers an urgent, equitable solution to LA’s dual crisis: a rapidly aging population and persistent workforce exclusion. Designed by Beach Cities Educational Foundation in partnership with East Los Angeles College and two local senior living providers, the program connects individuals with disabilities, opportunity youth, and low-income residents to high-demand roles in senior care. It features a three-tiered, stackable credential system in medical front office, health services, and community health work, culminating in coursework that fulfills one-third of the requirements for an AA degree in Nutrition and Dietetics.
What makes this model stand out is its built-in financial and structural flexibility. Participants receive tuition assistance, transportation support, and paid internships—paired with robust wraparound services and personalized case management. The stipends are not bonuses; they’re critical levers that allow individuals to pause outside work, stay housed, and fully engage in learning. The program’s multiple entry and exit points accommodate varied life circumstances, allowing each participant to move at their own pace toward livable-wage employment.
This pilot is intentionally designed for replication. By integrating industry-aligned credentials, community college pathways, and financial supports, it offers a blueprint for scaling solutions that simultaneously stabilize the care economy and unlock access to meaningful careers.

Los Angeles will be stronger, more equitable, and better prepared to care for its aging population. This project will increase the number of skilled, credentialed workers in senior care—particularly from communities that have long been excluded from high-growth careers. As a result, senior living facilities will face fewer staff shortages, residents will receive more consistent and compassionate care, and employers will benefit from a more stable, better-prepared workforce. Long term, this model will shift how we approach workforce development—proving that wraparound supports, stipends, and flexible training pathways aren’t extras, but essentials for economic mobility. It will serve as a regional blueprint for closing workforce gaps while advancing equity, dignity, and opportunity. LA County will not just fill jobs—it will grow careers, reduce poverty, and lead the way in solving one of the most pressing human service challenges of our time.