Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) has announced $400,000 in Community Project Funding to expand workforce development and biotech programs at Los Angeles Valley College and Los Angeles Mission College.
The Workforce Training Program offers short-term, vocational training to non-traditional students who are unemployed, underemployed or displaced due to the pandemic.
The program will train students to enter the workforce with a living wage.
“Valley and Mission Colleges are no stranger to building up and investing in the next generation of leaders and innovators. This $400,000 we secured for additional training programs will help our future STEM workforce build the skills needed to thrive,” Cárdenas said
“Thank you, Los Angeles Community College District, for working with our office to bring much-needed federal dollars to the San Fernando Valley. Together, we will inspire and empower current and future STEM leaders.”
Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board Second Vice President Nichelle Henderson said Cárdenas’ steadfast commitment to the northeast San Fernando Valley “has always been a priority, and it shows.”
“From job training to gainful employment, investments in workforce programs like these ensure that our youth can confidently prepare for success after graduation,” Henderson said. “This investment supports our mission to provide rewarding and fulfilling careers to local residents.”
“Our community colleges are gateways to success and to high-growth careers,” said LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez. “We are incredibly appreciative that two of our campuses that serve San Fernando Valley residents are the recipients of Congressman Cárdenas’ Community Project Funding (CPF) initiative.
“This generous support secures our ability to continue to provide accessible and high-quality education, and deliver valuable skills and training for the 21st-century marketplace.”
Added Valley College President Barry Gribbons, “We are deeply grateful to Congressman Cárdenas and his support of our Manufacturing and Biotech Academies. These programs offer excellent opportunities to quickly train for and become employed in great careers, having a profound impact on participants, their families, and local companies.”
The area of biotechnology — in particular — has been in high demand given the pandemic.
Mission College will use its funding to improve its space and equipment to create specialized cell culture training in its biotechnology program, which would further students’ job readiness and provide a highly valued industry skill that cannot be obtained at other local institutions.
For the first time since 2009, Congress passed Community Project Funding, the money requested by members of Congress to meet the needs of their district. Cárdenas submitted 10 Community Project Funding requests to the Appropriations Committee, all of which were passed in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations federal funding package.
More than $12 million is going to the Northeast San Fernando Valley to support community improvement, housing for the homeless, job training, youth programs, mental health services, and more.