Program areas at Los Angeles Urban League
The Urban Center for Entrepreneurship is designed to help local and smallminority-owned businesses thrive, by providing technical assistance, training workshops, and one-on-one consultation to business owners. Training and consultation is provided by seasoned entrepreneurs, professional business coaches, and guest speakers with expertise in finance, sales, accounting, and other disciplines. Workshops are co-sponsored by corporations, banks, community organizations, and other entities, like the SBA, that have a shared interest in increasing the financial literacy, business acumen, and scale of disadvantaged businesses. Training content includes: accounting; digital marketing; certification; loan readiness; contract readiness; and a variety of other topics aimed at helping owners to grow their businesses, earn higher profits, and hire more local employees.
Biz Camp (2021 version) in partnership with NFTE, is an entrepreneurial education program consisting of two cohorts of approximately thirty teens aged 13-18. Each session includes at least 15 days of full-time instruction provided by paid professional, plus guest speakers, executives who volunteer as business coaches, and college interns; field trips to businesses and the Junior Achievement Financial Park; a Saturday Sale Day where students sell goods to the public and retain their profits; and a Business Plan Pitch Competition with a top prize of $1000, followed by a graduation ceremony. In addition to learning practical business skills, students improve their financial literacy and are taught the value of education, planning and strategy in their personal lives.Total Biz Camp program expenses were $419,337.
Construction Career Academy (CCA) is comprised of a series of 10-week training courses for men and women with employment challenges, including those affected byhomelessness; foster youth; formerly incarcerated men and women; victims of domesticabuse; and veterans. CCA trainees are prepared for careers in construction by a teamof union tradespeople who teach construction mathematics, practical skills, and soft skills, the combination of which allows trainees to take and pass exams to gain entry into skilled union trades. Trainees receive case management and supportive services including transportation allowances, work clothes and boots, tools, hard hats, and more. Upon completion of the training and achievement of a satisfactory union exam score, trainees are placed into full-time jobs or apprentice positions with local firms.Total program expenses were $521,414.