Start Wherever You Are
If you’re 18 to 28 and live in Los Angeles or Orange County, Merge can help. Maybe you want training, work experience, a job, or just a clearer direction. We work with system-impacted and underserved young adults, including those leaving foster care, those impacted by the justice system, and those facing economic barriers. You don’t need a plan to reach out.
Meet With Us
It starts with a conversation about your goals, your experience, and anything standing in your way.
Build Your Plan
There is no one-size-fits-all path. Together, we choose the one that fits you.
Get Trained and Gain Real Experience
Prepare with résumé help, mock interviews, certifications, or hands-on training. Then build real experience through paid work, apprenticeships, and hands-on learning.
Get Hired
We work directly with employers and connect you to real opportunities that fit your skills and goals. The aim is not just a certificate. It is a job or apprenticeship that can become a sustainable career.
Keep Moving Forward
Getting hired is not the finish line. We stay involved to help you settle in, solve problems, work with your employer, and grow in your role.
Your path through Merge
There are different ways to move toward a career.
What you need depends on where you are starting and where you want to go.
Get ready for work
Build your resume, practice interviews, strengthen your communication skills, and understand what employers expect. Walk into your interview knowing you’re ready.
Get trained
Learn job-specific skills through hands-on training, certifications, apprenticeship preparation, and other career-focused opportunities. Learn skills employers are actually looking for.
Gain paid experience
Build real workplace experience, confidence, professional references, and a stronger resume while learning what it is like to succeed on the job. Get experience while showing employers what you can do.
Connect with employers
You are not just completing training and then being sent out to search on your own. Merge works directly with employers and helps connect prepared candidates with real job opportunities.
Explore career pathways [COURSE CONTENT TBD]
Depending on current opportunities and employer needs, career paths may include:
General construction
Electrical
Solar
Plumbing
HVAC
AI/Tech
Paid work experience
Apprenticeships
Get support along the way
Sometimes what stands between you and a job has nothing to do with whether you can do the work. Merge may help with practical barriers like transportation, so getting to training, an interview, or a new job is easier. You will also get financial education to help you manage your money as you start earning. Programs like Drive2Thrive are built to remove these barriers so you can keep moving forward.
Real career journeys
Everyone starts somewhere different. The young adults below came to Merge with different goals and experiences. What they share is the right opportunity, the right preparation, and someone in their corner.
Marcus, construction apprentice, Long Beach, CA
Before Merge: Brief description of where the candidate was in their career journey before connecting with Merge, without defining them by hardship or failure.
The Opportunity: How the candidate connected with Merge, what training, preparation, paid experience, or other support they received, and what helped them become ready for the next step.
The Career: Employer, role, placement, starting wage or wage growth where appropriate, and where they are today.
Still Moving Forward: How Merge remained involved after the hire and how the candidate continues to build skills, stability, earning potential, and career growth.
Candidate Perspective: Short candidate quote about the opportunity, career, or what Merge made possible
Employer Perspective: Short employer quote about the candidate, the experience working with Merge, and why the partnership works.
Merge didn’t just help me find a job. They helped me figure out who I wanted to be in my career, and they were still checking in six months later to make sure I was okay.
Marcus, construction apprentice, Long Beach, CA
Before Merge: Brief description of where the candidate was in their career journey before connecting with Merge, without defining them by hardship or failure.
The Opportunity: How the candidate connected with Merge, what training, preparation, paid experience, or other support they received, and what helped them become ready for the next step.
The Career: Employer, role, placement, starting wage or wage growth where appropriate, and where they are today.
Still Moving Forward: How Merge remained involved after the hire and how the candidate continues to build skills, stability, earning potential, and career growth.
Candidate Perspective: Short candidate quote about the opportunity, career, or what Merge made possible
Employer Perspective: Short employer quote about the candidate, the experience working with Merge, and why the partnership works.
Merge didn’t just help me find a job. They helped me figure out who I wanted to be in my career, and they were still checking in six months later to make sure I was okay.
What happens after you get hired?
Getting the job is just the beginning. You don’t lose Merge’s support once you’re hired. We keep working with you and your employer to help you adjust, stay on track, solve problems, and build new skills.
Maybe your next goal is a strong first 90 days. Maybe it is more responsibility, a raise, or the next level of your career. We want to help you get the job, and then help you succeed in it.
Your questions
No. There is no cost to candidates to participate in Merge programs, training, career preparation, employer connections, or ongoing support.
No. You can come to Merge with different levels of experience. We’ll start by understanding where you are and what you may need to become ready for the next opportunity.
No. You do not need to have everything figured out before you contact us. Part of the process is helping you understand your options and identify a path that makes sense for you.
Merge primarily serves system-impacted and underserved young adults ages 18–28 across Los Angeles and Orange County.
It depends on the opportunity and what you need. Some candidates may need professional preparation or short-term training, while others may participate in more extensive hands-on or apprenticeship training.
Career opportunities vary based on current programs and employer needs and may include electrical, solar, plumbing, HVAC, general construction, apprenticeships, paid work experience, AI/technology, and other career pathways.
Yes. Paid work experience is one of the ways Merge can help eligible candidates gain real experience, build their résumé, and prepare for longer-term employment opportunities.
Merge works directly with employers and is focused on helping candidates move into real employment opportunities. Specific jobs depend on employer needs, candidate readiness, and available openings.
In some situations, yes. Merge works to help address practical barriers that can make it harder to participate in training, attend interviews, start a job, or stay employed. Available support can vary.
Training is one part of the process. Merge can help you gain experience, connect with employers, prepare for interviews, and move toward employment.
We stay involved. Merge continues supporting both you and your employer after you start working to help create long-term success and career growth.
Start by reaching out. We’ll talk with you about where you are, what you are looking for, and what the right next step may be.
Ready for the next step?
Remember, you don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need to know exactly what career you want. And you don’t have to pay to get started. Start with a conversation with us and let’s see what opportunity could be right for you.