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Los Angeles…The U.S. Department of Labor awarded close to $4million to two colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District. The national awards were given to 69 community colleges and community-based institutions that competed successfully under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative.

The colleges will use the funds to prepare students for careers in high-growth industries. Awardees were chosen from among 341 applications received in response to a competition announced August 8, 2007.

Of the three awards given community colleges in California, two were for colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District. West Los Angeles College received $2,000,000 for Movie/TV Production and East Los Angeles College was awarded $1,777,710 for Healthcare.

“We are very proud that two of our nine colleges received these competitive grants,” says Dr. Marshall E. Drummond, Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District. “These programs will provide our students with the skills needed to gain employment in careers that offer great opportunities for advancement.”

Introduced by President Bush in his 2004 State of the Union address, Community-Based Job Training Grants improve the ability of community colleges to provide their regions’ workers with the skills needed to enter growing industries. The first round of 70 competitive awards was made on October 19, 2005. The second round of 72 awards was made on December 11, 2006.

“Community colleges are in a unique position to prepare local workers for careers in high-growth industries,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

“The $125 million awarded will expand enrollment in education and training programs and provide more workers with the skills they need to succeed.”

The nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District educate more than 150,000 students yearly. Students are trained in hundreds of careers including aviation, computer applications, engineering and manufacturing, law enforcement, hospitality, multimedia, public safety, nursing, aerospace technology, electron microscopy and radiologic technology.

For more information, visit www.LAcolleges.net.