The Antelope Valley is revving its efforts to empower local youths with skills that soar in aerospace, thanks to a $1 million boost from L.A. County funneled into a vocational training program that's flying high on social impact and smart collaboration. The Lost Angels Career Center, a Lancaster-based nonprofit, is taking under its wing the newest group of 70 aspiring aerospace professionals, setting the stage for a 12-week intensive program launched just yesterday, confirmed by a recent announcement from Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office.

This opportunity, known as the Aerospace High Road Training Partnership, sees the county, spearheaded by Supervisor Barger, working alongside industry giants Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to provide a runway for disadvantaged youth ages 18 to 24 to launch into careers in aerospace or manufacturing, it gives them the chance to gain industry-validated training, mentorship, career counseling, and it connects them with apprenticeship programs that directly lead to gainful employment in a sector eager for new talent; this relationship between public and private entities exemplifies the kind of synergy that can help targeted demographics lift off straight into the workforce.

Last year, Supervisor Barger's visit to the Lost Angels Career Center underscored her commitment, which, in July 2024, culminated in securing a $1 million contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity to enrich the vocational training initiatives. "Lost Angels does an exceptional job of training and mentoring the Antelope Valley’s youth and exposes them to valuable aerospace career pathways," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, as per the County of Los Angeles. "Our County's investment in Lost Angels helps them reach more local youth so they can access jobs in their own backyards that otherwise may have remained unknown and untapped."

Laura Evans, Director of Job Development and Case Management at Lost Angels, detailed the boon of county partnership, explaining, "Our partnership with Los Angeles County allows Lost Angels to enhance our workforce development program focused on manufacturing and fabrication in the Antelope Valley in a variety of ways,” as stated by the County of Los Angeles. “We’re now further empowered to provide paid training opportunities to youth, supportive services to help remove barriers for youth, and support more internal capacity building so our organization can continue to grow and succeed for years to come,” she added.