Building Skills Partnership

What Building Skills Partnership does

Building Skills Partnership (BSP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It delivers workforce development, immigrant inclusion, and community advancement programs to property service workers—primarily janitors, security officers, airport workers, and their families—across seven California metros (Los Angeles, Oakland, Orange County, Palo Alto, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose). The organization operates through a labor-management-community partnership model, anchored by SEIU-United Service Workers West (45,000+ members), 90+ janitorial employers, and 60+ commercial building owners, with notable employer partners including ABM Industries and Servicon. Signature programs include the Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP, USGBC-CA qualified, launched 2014), the Infectious Disease Certification Program (launched 2020), ADVANCE Vocational ESL, Citizenship and Civic Engagement, Financial Capabilities (with VITA tax preparation), Health and Wellness, and the Family Engagement & College Readiness (FECR) program including the Carnegie Scholarship Program. In 2023, BSP served 4,650 participants through direct services and 18,500 individuals through hybrid outreach; reported outcomes include 100% employer satisfaction, 88% employee satisfaction, 1,500+ janitors Infectious Disease certified, 1,800+ GJEP certified, and 5.6% average energy reduction in GJEP-trained buildings.

BSP does not operate proprietary technology. Programs are delivered through worksite-based training, union halls, an LAX partnership with West Los Angeles College (launched 2023), community college partnerships, and online/virtual ESL. The organization is funded primarily through institutional grants and donations from foundations (Carnegie Corporation of New York, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, James Irvine Foundation), government agencies (California Workforce Development Board via California Climate Investments), and corporate partners (Google, Kaiser Permanente). All participant-facing services are provided at no cost. The business is governed by a tripartite board representing labor, management, and the broader community, with ~40+ staff and a leadership team including Executive Director Luis Sandoval, Director of Strategy and Impact Christian Valdez, Director of Systems Change & Worker Voice Jose Mondragon, and a Workforce Researcher. No revenue, parent company, or M&A activity is disclosed.

Name

Building Skills Partnership

Legal name

Building Skills Partnership

Website

https://buildingskills.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Building Skills Partnership is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers workforce development, immigrant inclusion, and community advancement programs to low-wage property service workers and their families across seven California metros, in partnership with SEIU-USWW, 90+ janitorial employers, and 60+ building owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Immigrant Inclusion Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Workplace & Career Integration for Immigrants (Credentialing, Job Readiness) (EDAAADAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development programs
• Immigrant inclusion services
• Vocational ESL training
• Community advancement programs
• Property services training

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Philanthropic Support: BSP operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization primarily funded through grants and donations from foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individual donors. Major funders include Carnegie Corporation of New York, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, James Irvine Foundation, California Workforce Development Board, and numerous other foundations and corporate sponsors listed on their website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Building Skills Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free workforce development, immigrant inclusion, and community advancement programs to property service workers (janitors, security officers, airport and arena workers) and their families across California. Programs include vocational ESL, green cleaning and infectious disease certification, floor care and digital literacy training, citizenship preparation, financial coaching and free tax preparation, health and wellness education, and college access and scholarships.

Product overview

Building Skills Partnership is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of workforce development, immigrant inclusion, and community advancement programs for property service workers in California. The organization's programs include: Workforce Development programs (Infectious Disease Certification, ADVANCE Vocational ESL, Green Janitor Education Program, Floor Care Programs, Digital Literacy, LAX Programs); Immigrant Inclusion programs (Citizenship and Civic Engagement, Financial Capabilities, ESL); Community Advancement programs (Health and Wellness, Family Engagement & College Readiness, BSP Scholarships, Airports and New Divisions); and Systems Change/Worker Voice programs (Activate for Democracy). These programs are designed to help workers achieve socio-economic mobility through skills development, education, and community advancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Infectious Disease Certification Program A certification program that equips property service workers with knowledge to protect their own health and safety and that of building occupants, covering effective cleaning and disinfecting techniques, correct usage of PPE, and avoiding workplace injuries.
• ADVANCE Vocational ESL
• Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP) A hands-on energy management and green cleaning training program that certifies janitors in green building cleaning practices to help meet the latest energy, water, and environmental sustainability standards.
• Floor Care Programs
• Digital Literacy Program A program that provides access to tech devices like Chromebooks and laptops and facilitates digital knowledge acquisition to help close the digital divide for property service workers and their families.
• LAX Programs Educational programs for airport service workers at Los Angeles International Airport including Emergency Preparedness Training, Career Pathways & College Access, Aviation Programs, Leadership Development, Infectious Disease Courses, Financial Capabilities, and Parent University.
• Citizenship and Civic Engagement Program A program that supports individuals throughout the process of becoming naturalized U.S. citizens through instruction in United States history, civics, and English, as well as guidance with application and interview processes.
• Financial Capabilities Program A program offering training, coaching, and free tax preparation services to help frontline property service workers meet their financial goals, achieve economic stability, and access the financial mainstream.
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Program An English language acquisition program that provides workers with the opportunity to gain language skills needed to navigate their workplace and community, offering basic literacy skills including reading, writing, listening, and conversational skills.
• Health and Wellness Program Comprehensive, linguistically and culturally competent health education and wellness programs that equip low-wage communities to lead healthy lives, covering health literacy, diabetes prevention, cardiovascular diseases, stress management, mental health, nutrition, and physical activities.
• Family Engagement and College Readiness (FECR) Program A two-generational model program that engages both working parents and K-12 students, providing guidance on navigating the educational system, childhood enrichment opportunities, and scholarships to break the cycle of poverty.
• BSP Scholarships Scholarship programs including the Mike Garcia Scholarship, Martha Cox-Nitikman Memorial Scholarship, and Carnegie Scholarship Program that provide financial support to unionized, low-income property service worker parents and their K-12 students for higher education.
• Airports and New Divisions Program Language acquisition and professional and leadership development programs for property and passenger service workers throughout California, including ESOL, Spanish for Airport Workers, Spanish for Security, and American Sign Language courses.
• Activate for Democracy A statewide voter engagement campaign called 'Actívate! For Democracy' that educates, registers, and activates property service workers, their families, and industry partners to participate in the democratic process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of employers agree BSP adds value by improving employees' skills and well-being
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered key and core.

• West Los Angeles CollegekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership for aviation career certification programs. In fall 2023, BSP and SEIU-USWW held on-site classes at West LA College with 45 workers enrolled in 32-hour courses.
• USGBC-CA (U.S. Green Building Council California)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership to develop the Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP) - a qualified USGBC program through which janitors are accredited in green building cleaning practices.
• SEIU-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSP has strong collaborations with SEIU-USWW, representing more than 45,000 janitors, security officers, and allied workers throughout California. BSP was born out of the Justice for Janitors movement and maintains a unique labor-management partnership with SEIU-USWW.
• UCLA Labor CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and policy partnership; BSP Board member Janna Shadduck-Hernandez is Project Director at UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education. BSP has collaborated on immigration and economy reports.
• BOMA-GLA (Building Owners and Managers Association Greater Los Angeles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with BOMA-GLA in developing the Green Janitor Education Program. BSP Board member Michele Ware serves as President of BOMA/GLA representing 135 million square feet of office and industrial space.
• California State University San MarcoskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through BSP's Family Engagement College Readiness (FECR) program for campus visits and educational opportunities.
• California Breast Cancer Research ProgramkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Women's Health Ambassador Curriculum & Environmental Initiative for Cohort 1.
• Iris Cantor-UCLA Women's CenterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Women's Health Ambassador Curriculum & Environmental Initiative.
• Worksite WellnesskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Women's Health Ambassador Curriculum & Environmental Initiative.
• Rising CommunitieskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Women's Health Ambassador Curriculum & Environmental Initiative.
• ABM IndustriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor employer partner; BSP programs delivered to ABM workers including ESL and certification training. Sam Shapiro with Able Services (now ABM) serves on BSP Board.
• ServiconcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployer partner; President and CEO Laurie Sewell serves on BSP Board. Servicon recognized as pioneer in environmentally sustainable cleaning services.
• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UCLA Labor Center, UCLA IRLE, and UCLA Iris Cantor Women's Health Center for various programs and research.
• UnidosUSkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the LA UnidosUS Escalera Program serving 149 9th grade students at Alliance Patti & Peter Neuwirth Leadership Academy.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Skills Coalition: National Skills Coalition is a national policy and advocacy organization advancing federal and state workforce development policy for low-wage and frontline workers. It is comparable to BSP at the policy-advocacy layer, particularly around high-road training partnerships and immigrant workforce inclusion.
• National Immigration Forum: National Immigration Forum is a large immigrant-advocacy organization advancing immigrant integration and economic inclusion at the federal policy level. It is comparable to BSP as a broader immigrant-inclusion and integration advocate operating at significantly larger scale and scope.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC is a major humanitarian nonprofit delivering workforce development, ESL, citizenship, and resettlement services to refugees and immigrants across the U.S. It is comparable to BSP's immigrant integration and workforce training programs, though at significantly larger national scale and refugee focus.

Emerging players

• GRID Alternatives: GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit delivering solar industry workforce training and installation programs to low-income communities. It is comparable to BSP as a workforce-development nonprofit whose curriculum (clean energy) aligns with BSP's green janitorial and sustainability training.

Direct peers

• Per Scholas: Per Scholas provides tuition-free technology and professional skills training to low-income adults and unemployed workers, with a focus on creating career pathways. It is comparable to BSP as a workforce-development nonprofit delivering employer-aligned, tuition-free training to underrepresented populations.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS): JVS is a national workforce development nonprofit providing job training, ESL, citizenship, and career advancement services to immigrants, refugees, and low-income job seekers. Its mission, service mix (workforce training + immigrant integration), and labor/employer partnership model closely mirror BSP's approach.
• WRTP | BIG STEP: WRTP/BIG STEP is a labor-management workforce development partnership that trains workers in construction, manufacturing, and building services through industry-led partnerships with unions and employers. Its tripartite labor-management-employer model and sector-based training approach are directly comparable to BSP's structure.
• CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning): CAEL is a nonprofit that connects adult learners to education and career pathways through workforce partnerships with employers, colleges, and government agencies. Its adult-learner, employer-partnership model for workforce development is closely comparable to BSP's approach.
• CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio): CLUES is a Twin Cities-based Latino-led nonprofit providing workforce development, ESL, citizenship, financial capability, and youth services to Latino families. Its program mix and target population closely mirror BSP's services for immigrant property service workers and their families.

Regional players

• CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights): CHIRLA is a Los Angeles-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, citizenship support, and workforce programs. It overlaps with BSP's immigrant-inclusion work in the same Los Angeles geography, though it is a broader immigrant-rights organization rather than a workforce specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/building-skills-partnership
• Xx.com/Building_Skills

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Building Skills Partnership