Local Labor Council Receives $900,000 Grant
The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council received a $900,000 grant from the California Workforce Investment Board.
The grant was part of nearly $18 million awarded as part of Gov. Gray Davis’ Job Skills Training Initiative.
The local labor council will use its grant money to fund a pre-apprenticeship program that prepares students for trade jobs, said Mark Hanson, the council’s director of training and development.
The money is expected to help train 160 students during the next 18 months.
During the past year, 141 students enrolled in the 10-week program, Hanson said. Of those, 118 completed the training. Ninety-eight have been placed in unsubsidized employment, council officials said.
Students receive a $108-a-week stipend while they attend classes. The average hourly wage after graduation is $10.30.
Eligibility requirements to enroll include a California driver’s license and a high school diploma or GED.
Twenty-two projects throughout the state received grants.
“We must do everything we can to help Californians get back into the work force,” Davis said. “Our economic recovery depends on it. These grants go to agencies that can most effectively use the funds and give Californians the necessary training they need to become productive citizens once again.”
The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council represents 122 local unions in both counties. The council has 120,000 members.
,Rene’e Beasley Jones
