College Promise and Los Angeles Community College District to Convene National Leaders at 2026 Careers Institute, Celebrate 10 Years of LA College Promise

Gathering at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College will focus on connecting Promise programs to high-demand careers and stronger regional economies

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- College Promise, in partnership with the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), will host the 2026 College Promise Careers Institute on Oct. 21–22, 2026, at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, convening leaders from higher education, workforce, philanthropy, government, and industry around a central question: how Promise programs can move more learners into high-demand careers and strengthen regional economies. The Institute will also mark the 10th anniversary of LA College Promise, one of the nation's leading Promise programs and a 2025 College Promise National Impact Award honoree.

Under the theme Igniting Prosperity: The Path to Fueling Talent, Innovation, and Opportunity, sessions will cover:

• Aligning Promise programs with regional workforce needs and employer demand
• Artificial intelligence and the changing skills economy
• Expanding opportunity for men and parenting students, building on College Promise's national student-father initiative
• Communicating educational and economic outcomes, and return on investment, to policymakers, funders, and the public
• Sustainable funding models that keep Promise programs strong for the long term

Launched in 2016 through a partnership among LACCD, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and philanthropic and community partners, LA College Promise is a model that has expanded educational opportunity for thousands of students demonstrating how coordinated community investment can help learners reach their potential and contribute to the region's economic future.

"Ten years ago, Los Angeles made a promise to its students, and LA Promise has spent the decade keeping it, showing firsthand the power of the Promise program idea," said Rosye Cloud, interim CEO of College Promise. "Across the country, that's hundreds of Promise programs giving students and families a real path to college and a career. It's helping community partners rethink how we connect education, workforce opportunity, and economic mobility. That's the life-changing work we're in Los Angeles to celebrate and build on at the Careers Institute."  

"Our LA Promise graduates feel like family to me. I have celebrated with them at commencement, listened to their stories, and watched them become the nurses, technicians, teachers, and entrepreneurs who power our city", said Dr. Alberto J. Román, LACCD Chancellor. "Ten years ago, Los Angeles made a promise to its young people that college would be within reach. Thousands of students have kept their end of that promise with courage and determination. Welcoming the Careers Institute to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College gives us the opportunity to share their success with the nation and recommit ourselves to the next generation of Promise scholars."

Today, the national College Promise movement includes more than 470 Promise programs serving communities in all 50 states. Together, these programs help learners earn credentials, connect to careers, and contribute to stronger local and regional economies and communities.

College Promise extends its gratitude to its National Advisory Board, National Leadership Council, national partners, philanthropies, and donors. Special thanks to the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, ECMC Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The College Board, and CollegeAPP for their invaluable support.

About College Promise

College Promise is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing educational and economic opportunity by supporting Promise programs that increase college access, completion, and workforce success. Through research, policy leadership, technical assistance, and cross-sector partnerships, College Promise works to ensure that all learners have clear pathways to prosperity.

About the Los Angeles Community College District

The Los Angeles Community College District is the nation's largest community college district, serving hundreds of thousands of students annually through nine colleges. Through LA Promise, LACCD and its partners have expanded access to higher education by providing financial support, student success services, and pathways to degrees, certificates, transfer, and careers.

Media Contact:

Michelle Cooper
Strategic Initiatives and Engagement
College Promise
[email protected]
516.241.9063

SOURCE College Promise