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Kickoff of South Bay Job Training
Program
Thank you all for coming today, to celebrate this worthy project.
I would like to thank Governor Schwarzenegger, for recognizing the
great potential that this project has to provide low-income families
with direct opportunities to receive training that will lead
directly to good paying jobs. It represents a collaboration of
significant partners: representatives from the energy industry,
community colleges and grass-roots community agencies, all stepping
up to create new employment opportunities for foster youth,
dislocated workers and disadvantaged adults.
This will also connect
these foster youth with special support services so they can remain
in the jobs as long as possible – services like child care and
workplace counseling and mentoring. The partners are:
- Conoco-Phillips;
- BP;
- Valero;
- Exxon-Mobil;
- El Camino College;
- Harbor College;
- Beach Cities One-Stop;
- Long Beach Workforce Investment Board;
- Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and
our very good friends at the South Bay Center for Counseling.
What I love about this is that we have the business community,
joining forces with community colleges and grass-roots community
agencies to create a pathway for at-risk and low income people who
live in the South Bay that will lead straight to careers in the
energy industry, with high starting wages and opportunities for
advancement.
They will be doing everything they can to help them succeed,
including:
- College-credit level classes at community colleges, to raise
reading, writing and computer skills.
- Industry-specific training that is customized for the jobs they
will receive at the end of the project.
- Three-month “try-out” wages. That means that if a program
participant successfully completes the training, these companies
will guarantee employment and the salary that comes with it for a
minimum of three months.
- Supportive services before, during and after these individuals
start work.
In short, what we are
talking about here is “real jobs” for people who need these
opportunities the most. It is a program that has a wonderful
application throughout my district and throughout all of Los Angeles
County.
It is a commitment of mine in 2006 to find a way to make this
connection and expand this program across the County. In the coming
weeks, I plan to lead the effort on how we can develop this “real
jobs” concept across the County.
Thanks Congratulations to you all, for obtaining this funding, and I
look forward to hearing about your great success.
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