New LACI White Paper Outlines Workforce Training Pathways to Streamline Resilient Rebuilding, Grow the Green Workforce in LA
Participants in LACI’s Resilient Rebuilding Training Course Showcase Group Projects During Demo Day Event
Los Angeles, March 20, 2026 – Today, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) released a Resilient Rebuilding White Paper that outlines priority workforce training pathways and additional key findings to help guide the recovery effort following the devastating Los Angeles County fires of January 2025.
The release of the White Paper follows the January launch of LACI’s Resilient Rebuilding Training Course, the latest course in LACI’s Green Jobs Workforce Development Program, which provides technical training focused on rebuilding energy-efficient homes and buildings, and supporting disaster-resilient infrastructure. The free eight-week course includes 24 workforce participants from across the Greater Los Angeles region, including those personally affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires of January 2025.
Drawing from more than 40 discovery conversations and focus groups with community partners, state and county agencies, funders, and technical experts, the White Paper identifies primary roles and related training pathways that have the greatest overlap between employer demand and participant interest. These pathways include:
- Construction and Rebuild Project Manager
- Fire Safety and Home Hardening Specialist
- Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater / Energy Efficiency Technician
- Resident-Facing Community Rebuilding Navigator
Beyond the clear applicability for LA communities currently in the midst of fire recovery, the White Paper may serve as a valuable resource to other communities recovering from climate-linked disasters going forward.
“After the devastating 2025 wildfires destroyed more than 13,000 homes and disrupted over 11,000 jobs, Los Angeles needs a workforce that rebuilds smarter–not just faster,” said Estelle Reyes, LACI Senior Vice President of Enhancing Community. “This White Paper and our Resilient Rebuilding Training Course are transforming that need into action: training fire survivors and displaced workers in high-demand roles for the rebuilding efforts. By providing technical training, industry-recognized certifications, career coaching, and paid internships with LACI startups and partner organizations, we are supporting placement in good-paying jobs, strengthening local capacity, and ensuring our communities come back stronger, safer, and more sustainable.”
The Resilient Rebuilding Training Course marks the latest course in LACI’s Green Jobs Workforce Development Program, which has trained more than 600 workforce participants from across the Greater Los Angeles region.
“After being directly impacted by the Eaton fire and witnessing the devastation in Altadena, I wanted to find a way to help the community rebuild,” said Nico Soller, Resilient Rebuilding Training Course participant. “LACI’s Resilient Rebuilding Training Course showed me different pathways to do just this–providing the technical training, networking, mentorship, and career development resources needed to translate my existing skills and experiences into a role within the green industry. I am graduating from this program not only equipped with industry-specific knowledge and credentials, but with budding community connections, and an eagerness to grow within the climate resiliency space.”
Workforce participants in the Resilient Rebuilding Training Course showcased their group projects at a Demo Day event on March 20, 2026, in partnership with the resilient rebuilding-themed cohort of LACI’s Incubation program. The event provided a forum to highlight the participants’ research and dedicated work completed over the previous eight weeks.
Read more about the findings and recommendations in the full White Paper, available here.
ABOUT LACI:
The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is unlocking innovation by scaling cleantech startups, transforming markets through catalytic partnerships with policymakers, innovators, and market leaders, and enhancing communities through workforce training, pilots and other programs. Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water & Power (LADWP) in 2011, LACI has helped 537 portfolio companies raise over $1.5 billion in funding, generated $477 million in revenue, and created 2,626 jobs throughout the Los Angeles region, with a long term economic impact of more than $733 million.
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