SheWorks California Tackles Job Inequity with Bold Support for Black Women

November 12, 2025

The California Black Women's Collective Empowerment Institute is launching SheWorks California, a free workforce development program beginning January 2026 for unemployed, underemployed, and formerly incarcerated Black women in Southern California. The five-month initiative will provide career coaching, skills training, financial literacy education, and direct connections to employers, along with stipends and childcare assistance to remove barriers to participation. The program addresses significant employment challenges facing Black women, including a 6.

Who is affected

Black women in Southern California who are unemployed, underemployed, or rebuilding after incarceration
Black women who lost jobs due to federal workforce cuts under the Trump administration (approximately 300,000 Black women left the U.S. workforce between February and April)
Black women nationally experiencing 6.7% unemployment (compared to 4.3% national rate)
Black communities that depend on Black women's economic contributions as homeowners, nonprofit supporters, and political donors
The California Black Women's Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI) as the program organizer
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan and L.A. Care Health Plan as hosting partners
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor as a funding partner

What action is being taken

The California Black Women's Collective Empowerment Institute is launching the SheWorks California program running from January 24 to May 16, 2026
The Institute is currently recruiting to register 30 women by the end of December
The program will provide career coaching, interview prep, resume development, mentorship, digital skills training, financial literacy lessons, and wellness resources
Participants will receive three monetary stipends throughout the five-month training plus childcare and transportation allowances
Sessions will be hosted at Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan community resource centers in Inglewood, Long Beach, and South Los Angeles

Why it matters

This program addresses critical employment disparities facing Black women in California, who experience higher unemployment rates and face systematic barriers including workplace discrimination and education requirements that exclude 75% of Black women without bachelor's degrees from fair-paying jobs. The initiative is particularly timely given the recent exodus of 300,000 Black women from the U.S. workforce and disproportionate impacts from federal job cuts, as Black women are overrepresented in public sector positions. Black women's economic participation has broader community implications since they serve as homeowners, nonprofit supporters, and political contributors, meaning their unemployment creates ripple effects throughout Black communities. The program's comprehensive approach removes practical barriers like childcare costs while providing both immediate job placement pathways and longer-term career training opportunities.

What's next

The Institute aims to have 30 women registered for the program by the end of December
The program will run from January 24 to May 16, 2026
After completing the program, participants will be transitioned either into career training programs (such as LVN or pharmaceutical licensing) or directly into jobs with partner employers
Sessions will expand to community resource centers in Inglewood, Long Beach, and South Los Angeles in spring 2026

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint