West LA College Part Of $12 Million Grant for Apprentice Program

CULVER CITY, CA — West Los Angeles College in Culver City and the South Bay Workforce Investment Board in Hawthorne have received a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for a program to prepare and place nearly 1,500 workers into apprenticeship roles in advanced manufacturing with a focus on the Aerospace and Biosicence industries, it was announced Monday.

The grant was the only one awarded to a California applicant, and is part of a national effort under the Growing Advanced Manufacturing Apprentices Across America program, which aims to place a total of about 5,000 workers into apprenticeship roles.

"This very significant grant award reflects the effectiveness of the apprenticeship programs we have collectively created here in the greater South Bay area," SBWIB Executive Director Jan Vogel said. "Our Aero-Flex and Bio- Flex pre-apprentice and apprenticeship models are now being looked at and implemented nationally."

Included among the local collaborative partners are El Camino College, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles Workforce Development Board, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Project Lead the Way, Training Funding Partners, Goodwill of Southern California and the Aero-Flex Unilateral Apprenticeship Committee.

Companies and participants interested in this opportunity were asked to contact Deborah Shepard at 310-970-7700 for more information on how to participate.

The SBWIB operates four One Stop Business & Career Center in the South Bay, plus two Teen Centers in Inglewood and Hawthorne. All employment services provided are offered at no cost to the public.

City News Service