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Six LA Unified high schools are splitting a $7 million Youth CareerConnect grant to expand career pathways in health care, biotechnology, and business.

The district is one of the first in the nation awarded funds from a collaboration between the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor. It is designed to help schools provide more industry-related knowledge and skills.

“These pathways provide additional routes to success for students as they prepare to graduate college-ready and career-prepared,” Superintendent John Deasy said in a statement from the district. “This grant recognizes the caliber of instruction in LA Unified, and represents Washington’s faith in our ability to deliver.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti called it “another huge victory for our city and our students”

“I’m very pleased this grant will benefit students in Westlake and from South Los Angeles to Sylmar and from the Harbor to Hollywood,” he said in a statement.

The six schools are:

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) pilot at Helen Bernstein High School
• Sylmar Biotech and Health Academy
• Health Information and Technology at Manual Arts Senior High School
• Business and Tourism at Miguel Contreras Learning Center
• International Business and Trade at Phineas Banning Senior High School
• Responsible Indigenous Social Entrepreneurs (RISE) pilot, which encourages neighborhood and small business development, at Augustus Hawkins Senior High School

Students will benefit from specialized instruction linked to these fields, through work experience, internships and mentoring.