LOS ANGELES - Councilmember Krekorian joined Mayor Garcetti, Councilmember Koretz and other city and community leaders to announce the city's new initiative to create equitable job opportunities for LA's underserved communities and restore city services. Mayor Garcetti signed Executive Directive 15, which lays the framework for how the city will grow its workforce by 5,000 employees and expand core city services over the next three years. The city of Los Angeles is the third largest employer in LA County. By 2018, nearly 46% percent of the city's workforce will be eligible for retirement, which presents the city with the challenge of recruiting, hiring and training the next generation of public servants. The directive instructs city department leaders to participate in the Targeted Local Hire Work Program, fill open positions with trainees, develop recruitment policies and training programs to support this and recruit workers from communities with history of disproportionate unemployment, such as the unsheltered, individuals with criminal records and the formerly incarcerated, veterans and at-risk youth.
"It's critical for the city to take this step so that we can continue to fill potholes, trim trees, resurface streets, and fix sidewalks in the decades to come," said Councilmember Paul Krekorian, chair of the Budget and Finance and Job Creation committees. "With Mayor Garcetti's leadership, Los Angeles is preparing its next generation of public servants and extending career opportunities to Angelenos who might otherwise get left behind."Watch Krekorian's speech here.