Driven To Succeed: Fueling Young Potential At Lost Angels Career Center
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Time to read 4 min
Sparks shoot off from a busted-up Chevy truck as a group of young adults take turns welding its frame. The air smells like hot metal and oil. Behind their face shields, these students are focused—asking questions, swapping ideas, and getting their hands dirty.
This isn’t your typical apprenticeship. This is day two of a 12-week intensive program run by Lost Angels Career Center, a nonprofit helping young people from low-income, high-barrier backgrounds get experience in welding, mechanics, electrical, auto body, and composites. Valuable skills that will open doors to a better future.
Aaron Valencia, classic custom car builder, Executive Director, and Founder of the LACC, was inspired to start the nonprofit in 2014 after volunteering at a soup kitchen in his neighborhood. “I was watching these kids grow up in the food lines, and I felt like I could do something more than a plate of food,” Valencia remembers. “I thought, what would've worked for me when I was 17, 18, 19? What if somebody could show you how to read a tape measure, how to cut a piece of wood, how to weld something together, and show you another side of life?”
Valencia knew that he could make a difference teaching young adults hands-on skills that would give them a foundation for a better life. He quickly formed the idea for the LACC, drawing on his talents for restoring cars and for teaching to create an after-school class. “I had no idea what I was doing,” Valencia recalls. “I knew that something needed to be done, and I could do it. I had a shop, I had tools, I had the space. I could do it. I thought of a quick curriculum, and I just started doing it. I realized I could be there for that younger version of myself.”
A SPACE TO TRY
Valencia wanted to give these kids a space where they could experiment, and a chance to see if they had a knack for auto work, welding, or electrical work. He knew they were smart and capable, and he was determined to challenge the idea that this generation lacks work ethic or motivation.
“There’s a huge misconception that all kids are lazy. But there’s a huge part of this population that wants to work hard. They've seen videos of people doing hands-on stuff, and want to try it, but there's no space to try. Let’s put some tools in your hands and see how you problem solve. Then you can grow, as a plumber, as a drywaller, in aerospace, as a mechanic. All these skills you can keep growing and make an amazing living for yourself.”
What started as an after-school program for teens has now grown into a full-blown career training center for young adults ages 18–24. Valencia saw that once students gained the hard skills, they needed help turning them into real jobs. So, the LACC added training for job hunting, helping students write resumes, prep for interviews, and gain the confidence to aim higher for themselves.
“There’s always somebody there to take you under their wing and show you how to rob, steal, sell drugs, that negativity is so easy to get into. How do you show someone how to do something positive, to make money in a real way? How to build a future? That’s what we’re doing here.”
A HUNGER TO LEARN
At Lost Angels Career Center, it’s not only about metal and machines. It’s about mindset. The LACC builds a learning atmosphere where young people are expected to show up, put in the work, and push themselves. With a team of over 20 instructors and staff, including experienced tradespeople in welding, composites, and 3D design, the students are put through their paces during their 12 weeks. They’re held to a high standard the whole way.
“We expect something of them,” Valencia says. “There’s no shortage of young people who need a leg up, who need a place to learn and feel accepted—but also someone to hold them accountable. We got your back. We're going to help push you, but these are the steps you do on your own. You got to be here on time. You got to pass the drug test. You got to have self-accountability.”
The payoff is real. Students learn quickly, solve problems, and own their success. “I think kids are labeled as lazy, entitled, no work ethic. And yeah, that does exist,” Valencia says. “But there’s a whole other group that’s hungry for opportunity, and hungry for a chance.”
A FORMULA THAT WORKS
Give the right tools, structure, and support to young people with drive, and the results speak for themselves. The Lost Angels Career Center has a 95% graduation rate, and 97% of those graduates get hired. Students land jobs with top employers like NASA, Lockheed Martin, MS Aerospace, and Northrop Grumman.
As demand grows, so does the need for space. The LACC helps 150 students a year, but has over 400 on the waitlist, and applications keep coming. “We had 130 kids apply last month,” Valencia says. “I think one of our biggest struggles right now is space. We have a line of employers that want to hire young people. Everybody's starving for qualified workers. We need to be able to do more.”
The Lost Angels Career Center is concrete proof of what’s possible when young people are given space, structure, and someone who has their back. Looking ahead, Valencia hopes to expand the LACC model across California and other cities— “Our long-term goal is to be able to open up multiple sites and see how this can evolve. We can take this and replicate it. It's a formula for success, and it's working.”
