Sustainable Careers for Long Beach Women

Income inequality

Long Beach

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

Low-income women in North Long Beach face severe income inequality due to poor jobs, insufficient education, and lack of skills. This results in low wages and unstable employment. Latina women face California's worst wage gap, earning only $0.44 for every $1 a white man makes (CalBudgetCenter), often trapping them in low-paying service industries.
Many experience significant housing burdens, with some low-income households paying 30-80% of income on rent (City of Long Beach Housing Element; NLIHC). Childcare is a massive drain; a single Black mother can spend 67% of her income on it (CalBudgetCenter). These women battle income inequality, systemic barriers, severely impacting their well-being.
Our Entry-Level Career Training for Women program boasts a 98% success rate: participants secure new careers within six months, earning at least 10% more than their previous salary, plus benefits and opportunities for growth. Ten percent of those promoted within the first 12 months of employment.

The Sustainable Careers for Long Beach Women initiative addresses income inequality by establishing a social enterprise staffing agency. This agency will provide low-income women with six months of hybrid (80% virtual, 20% in-person) professional and technical training in fields like project management, data analytics, AI, and digital marketing, allowing them to maintain current employment while upskilling. Participants receive online curriculum, projects, and virtual monthly workshops. In-person monthly Networking Mixers will develop leadership skills such as conflict resolution, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking. Employability skills, including workplace safety, critical thinking, professionalism, and accountability, are also covered. They'll benefit from one-on-one resume reviews, mock interviews, and Q&A sessions with leading professional women. Upon completion, participants present capstone projects to a panel of experts for feedback. Post-placement, the agency will collaborate with employers to offer 3-6 months of mentoring, ensuring occupational retention and sustained economic advancement.
This grant will also support fees needed to launch a staffing agency (e.g., business filing fees, insurance, marketing, hiring program manager, and setting up HR platforms and payroll). We're currently in the process of Customer Exploration, surveying local Long Beach employers' hiring needs.

A successful social enterprise staffing agency assisting low-income women in Long Beach would profoundly impact LA County.
Boosted Incomes & Reduced Poverty: Placing women in higher-paying jobs (starting salary of $60k) directly combats income inequality and narrows wage gaps (e.g., Latina women earning just $0.44 per $1 a white man earns). This fosters economic mobility across the county.
Improved Well-being: Higher incomes ease housing burdens (30-80% of income on rent is common), reducing evictions and homelessness. Access to benefits improves health outcomes and reduces strain on public services.
Stronger Communities: Empowered women invest in their families, fostering stability and breaking cycles of income inequality. This leads to increased tax revenue and local spending.
Robust Workforce: The agency taps into underutilized talent, meeting employer needs while promoting diversity and inclusion. It also models a successful social enterprise for wider replication in LA County.