AB 2634 Strengthens Workforce Training Partnerships to Prepare Californians for Good-Paying Jobs and Growing Industry Needs
SACRAMENTO, CA – Democratic Caucus Chair and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur's (D-Hollywood) bill AB 2634, the High-Road Jobs & Workforce Training Act, has advanced out of the California Legislature and is headed to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. This bill — strongly supported by SEIU California, Building Skills Partnership, and the Hospitality Training Academy — strengthens California's workforce development investments by prioritizing High-Road Training Partnership (HRTP) funding for programs rooted in labor-management collaboration and strong job standards.
Since its creation in 2017, California's High Road Training Partnership initiative has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into workforce development programs designed to support job quality, equity, and climate resilience. AB 2634 builds on that success by ensuring state workforce investments continue creating pathways to stable, good-paying jobs while preparing workers and industries for economic transformation and major opportunities like the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"California's workforce investments should prepare people for good-paying jobs while helping our industries meet their changing workforce needs," said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. "AB 2634 strengthens a proven model that brings workers and employers to the same table to identify skills gaps, develop training, and create pathways to real jobs. With major economic opportunities like the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, we have an opportunity to make investments today that strengthen our workforce and our economy for years to come."
High Road Training Partnerships were originally designed to operate through employers and unions working collaboratively to upskill workers and address industry workforce challenges. However, recent investments have increasingly shifted toward business-first models with weaker connections to job quality and incumbent workers. AB 2634 helps restore the original "High Road" vision by directing the state to provide a scoring preference for HRTP grant applicants that are bona fide labor-management cooperation committees or entities applying on behalf of those committees.
"Today more than ever, AB 2634 moves California in the right direction." said Luis Sandoval, Executive Director, Building Skills Partnership. "AB 2634 is an opportunity for California to double down on what works: bringing workers, labor and responsible employers together to solve shared workforce challenges. We urge Governor Newsom to sign AB 2634, champion a high-road economy for all working Californians, and ensure workforce investments reach the property service workers who keep our airports, commercial buildings and essential infrastructure running."
"The Hospitality Training Academy is proud that AB 2634 has advanced out of the State legislature with strong support for state investment in workforce training programs that lift up communities and deliver a pipeline to life-changing employment," said Adine Forman, Executive Director, Hospitality Training Academy. "This bill is so timely as global events coming to Los Angeles drive demand for a skilled hospitality workforce, essential to being a world-class host. As AB2634 is presented to Governor Newsom, we urge him to sign this into law, to strengthen critical industries that can't be shipped overseas, expand access to good union jobs, and build a more resilient, inclusive economy."
AB 2634 now heads to Governor Newsom for consideration.
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur serves as the Democratic Caucus Chair for the California State Assembly and represents the 51st Assembly District, which includes Universal City, Hollywood, Hancock Park, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other portions of Los Angeles.
CONTACT: Vienna Montague, (916) 319-2051, Vienna.Montague@asm.ca.gov