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The paper explores the extent to which this emerging green economy can offer a pathway out of poverty for low-income young people, many of whom have disengaged from school and are struggling to find a way into the economic mainstream. These disconnected youth — some six million strong — represent an untapped resource.

Trade-Tech is featured multiple times in the report for its partnership programs with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (see student “success story” on page 16 and “programs in action” case study on page 38) and its newly developed stackable certificate in degree programs (see page 24-25).  The role of LATTC’s Trade Bridge Academy is also featured in the “programs in action” case study on page 38.

Source:  Grobe, Terry; O’Sullivan, Kate; Prouty, Sally T.; White, Sarah. (June, 2011).  A green career pathways framework: Postsecondary and employment success for low-income, disconnected youth.  Published by The Corps Network, 1100 G Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005.  Report is available on the Corps Network website http://www.corpsnetwork.org/ or

at: http://thecorpsnetwork.org/images/wu_images/July%202011/Green%20Career%20Pathways%20Paper/A%20Green%20Career%20Pathways%20Framework.pdf

The mayor even headed over to TE-101 to congratulate students who are graduating from Trade Tech’s Diesel Mechanics program. He loves thisplace. The program structure was put together by Dean Leticia Barajas and instructor Jess Guerra, who worked very hard with the Mayor’s people to develop the framework. No definitive word on how many internships will be created but you can bet the auto dealerships are looking at Trade Tech students.

Darryl Holter was on hand not as LATTC’s Foundation board president, but as one of the dealership owners who will be providing internships.

Thanks to our students and especially auto student Jesse Melendez, who got up in front of the news conference and spoke from the heart about how Trade Tech’s program has helped him.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We have young high school students talk to us about how photo-voltaic cells can run a go-kart engine or how certain architectural shapes can save energy in a home or how they can use software to size a fashion design, it is particularly impressive. That is exactly what takes place in the STEM program here at Trade Tech, and last week the program presented a display of technology and problem-solving skills that was amazing. Several teams of students used our welding area to create go-karts that were driven by solar technology. In addition, some of the students presented a fashion show of designs they created on the computer and then brought to life with manual skills. Also some students created housing space designs based on geometric equations. The STEM program is a two-year effort in conjunction with CSULA, supported through a grant from the Department of Education. The focus is increasing and retaining the number of Latino students in science and technology fields of study, through our science and technology academies and Trade Tech’s transfer pathway including an AS science degree program. It is exciting to see the students excel in these areas thanks to the efforts of our incredible faculty.

The Natural Resources Defense Council–a national, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists and 1.3 million members and online activists–recently released a video featuring companies and training and education programs that support California’s clean energy sector that is rapidly growing as a result of AB 32, the state’s landmark global warming law.  Students and faculty in Trade-Tech’s Solar, Energy Efficiency (Weatherization), and Diesel-Technology Alternative Fuels courses are featured in the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This week Southern California Edison presented Los Angeles Trade-Technical College with a check for $100,000 to provide scholarships to 50 low-income individuals enrolled in “green” education and training programs.  These scholarships are part of Southern California Edison’s statewide initiative to benefit community colleges.  Below is the press announcement of the scholarship initiative.

SCE Initiative to Benefit Colleges

Posted: 01/11/2010

Southern California Edison has launched a $1 million green jobs education initiative to fund sustainable or “green” education and job training at 10 California community colleges, solidifying a commitment to its core philanthropic priorities – education and the environment.

“The Green Jobs Education Initiative holds the triple crown in our philanthropic portfolio,” said SCE President John R. Fielder. “It will support education programs for college students, encourage environmental sustainability efforts and prepare skilled employees for the growing green jobs workforce.”

SCE will provide $100,000 to each of 10 selected colleges. Each college can then invest these funds in the California Community College Scholarship Endowment to receive an additional $50,000 match from the endowment’s lead benefactor, The Bernard Osher Foundation.

As a result, this match to SCE’s gift will total $500,000 and be put to work supporting community college students in need across the state.

The schools are Cerritos College, Norwalk; Cerro Coso Community College, Ridgecrest; El Camino College, Torrance; Golden West College, Huntington Beach; Long Beach City College, Long Beach; Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles; Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Los Angeles; Rio Hondo College, Whittier; San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino; and Ventura College, Ventura.

The Kresge Foundation has awarded Los Angeles Trade-Technical College $750,000 over 3 years to accomplish the following overaching goal: “to strengthen the capacity of community colleges to design and deliver state-of-the art education and training programs that have been modeled at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College–specifically to re-engineer community college education to ensure individuals efficiently and effectively accomplish their academic and professional goals and to ensure a requisite, skilled, and knowledgeable workforce to support a thriving regional economy, including the emerging green economy.”

This overarching goal will be accomplished through the Initiative for Intercollegiate Innovation (I³) comprised of three primary objectives: (1) research key elements of the green workforce development and the transformational model processes, as well as, the resulting programs that render them “best practices”; (2) develop and package green workforce development and innovation materials and disseminate to other community colleges using multiple mediums; and (3) conduct professional development and technical assistance activities with other community colleges to facilitate their adoption of these best practices —particularly among the colleges comprising the Los Angeles Community College District.

In addition, through the leadership and funding of the Kregse Foundation, Trade-Tech will be collaborating with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) on their nationwide “Building a Green Workforce: Charting a Course for Community Colleges” Program.

In awarding the grant, the Kresge Foundation noted they were “very impressed with LATTC’s leadership in green workforce development”.

SEMPRA ENERGY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $250,000 IN GRANTS TO CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES

SAN DIEGO, March 9, 2010 – Sempra Energy Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), today announced $250,000 in grants to 10 community colleges in California to provide scholarship support for students seeking certification or training for “green” jobs.

“The Sempra Energy Foundation is committed to supporting educational programs that will inspire the future leaders of our community,” said Jessie J. Knight, Jr., chairman of the board of directors of the Sempra Energy Foundation and executive vice president of external affairs for Sempra Energy.  “The grants will help educate community college students in environmental sustainability and prepare them for careers in green job fields.”

The $250,000 grants will provide financial support for underserved students in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Orange and Imperial counties.

The scholarships will go to students enrolled in educational and training programs in science, technology and engineering to promote new advances in environmental compliance, sustainability planning and alternative energy. 

“Sempra Energy Foundation’s generous support of the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment will provide vital financial assistance to students in need who are pursuing careers in green technology disciplines,” said Paul Lanning, president and chief executive officer of the Foundation for California Community Colleges. “We appreciate Sempra Energy Foundation’s commitment to California’s future and applaud the noteworthy example it is setting for other companies throughout our state.”

Each of the selected 10 colleges will receive $25,000 in scholarships. The Sempra Energy Foundation’s contribution also will give the colleges the opportunity to receive an additional $12,500 in direct-match dollars from the Bernard Osher Foundation as part of a statewide fundraising campaign. The campaign, launched in 2008 with a historic $50 million commitment from the Osher Foundation, is spearheaded by the Foundation for California Community Colleges and involves the entire community college system to create a $100 million statewide scholarship endowment by 2011.

The Sempra Energy Foundation granted scholarships to the following schools:

• San Diego City Community College
• Southwestern Community College, Chula Vista
• Imperial Valley Community College
• Riverside Community College
• Fullerton College
• Santa Ana Community College
• Los Angeles Trade Tech
• Glendale Community College
• Citrus College Glendora
• Taft Community College

The Sempra Energy Foundation is the 501(c)(3) private foundation of Sempra Energy, a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2009 revenues of more than $8 billion.  The Sempra Energy companies’ 13,800 employees serve more than 29 million consumers worldwide.  For more information on the Sempra Energy Foundation, visit www.sempraenergyfoundation.org.

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the official nonprofit foundation to the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors and Chancellor’s Office. The Foundation’s mission is to benefit, support, and enhance the missions of the California Community College system, the largest higher education system in the nation. Incorporated in 1998, the Foundation works with Community Colleges and partner organizations to manage donations, grants, programs, and services that drive excellence in education while saving millions of dollars for colleges each year.  The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation and receives no direct state or public support. For more information, visit www.foundationccc.org.

www.sempra.com     www.foundationccc.org

When the White House (WH) looks for a community college offering best practice, it looks no further than Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Last week, the newly-created WH Office of Urban Affairs brought U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to the Trade Tech campus on Tuesday November 24^th, to show her the education-industry-labor partnerships this college has put together in support of students entering the workforce. The White House representatives received a first-hand look at classes and instruction that will place people in careers. It is clear that the White House is looking to us as a model for such training and placement across America’s urban core.

Instructor Jess Guerra explained our bio-fuels program to Chancellor Tyree Wieder, LACCD board member Tina Park, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, WH Office of Urban Policy chief Adolfo Carrion, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and LA City Council president Eric Garcetti. This was just one stop on a tour that covered weatherization, photovoltaic and “green” construction as well as auto collision and painting and welding. Also joining the group were leaders in the U. S. Commerce, Education and Social Services departments.

The Labor Secretary and the mayor, then held a news conference in the bio-fuels lab. They talked about how impressed they were with Trade Tech. Then along with 40 other important community leaders, they met in the F-building for a policy briefing, where education grants, partnership policies and government appropriations were discussed. The White House contingent was thoroughly impressed with Trade Tech’s faculty, students and programs. Carrion was quoted as saying “I’m looking at things at this college, that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the country”. Vice President Marcy Drummond and Dean Leticia Barajas were instrumental in coordinating the entire visit and policy meeting and really showcasing the partnerships and practices we have on campus. We are optimistic that this visit will lead to more funding for our programs. These government people see us as leaders in these workforce development and curriculum areas, and that word has now spread to Washington D.C. and across the world.

Video

White House Office of Urban Affairs Visit 11-24-09 Part One

Click here to view the embedded video.

White House Office of Urban Affairs Visit 11-24-09 Part Two

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo Gallery

The project will be completed in three phases including:

1. The production of white paper based on a scan of current practices, programs, pipelines and credentials;
2. A convening of key stakeholders to review the findings and create key recommendations supporting the development of a comprehensive credentialed pathway; and
3. The implementation of a dissemination strategy with the Working Group.

*  Established in 1985, The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 143 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently operating in 44 states and the District of Columbia, Corps annually enroll more than 29,000 young men and women in service every year. Corps annually mobilize approximately 227,000 community volunteers who in conjunction with Corpsmembers generate 21.3 million hours of service every year. Today’s Corps, inheritors of the legacy of FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, enable Corpsmembers to improve community and the environment through programs including Civic Justice Corps, Public Lands Corps, Clean Energy Service Corps, and Corps Respond. By serving their nation, Corpsmembers gain abilities that last a lifetime, including work readiness, educational advancement, civic engagement, and the ability to make responsible choices.