WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $5.2 million in federal funding for employment and education projects across California in several recently released Senate appropriations bills. Following their release by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the bills will now be reconciled with their House counterparts before final passage.

“We have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to build a stronger economy for all Californians as we come out of this pandemic,” Senator Padilla said. “We can’t provide a pathway to success if we don’t invest in educational opportunity and employment training programs. That’s why I supported projects to help train the next generation of health care workers and firefighters, assist college students with their basic needs, and connect Californians with disabilities to local employers.”

California projects and programs to provide employment training and improved educational opportunities:

$1.5 Million for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps
This funding would support a collaborative between the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps of Long Beach, and San Gabriel Valley Conservation to scale up activities and provide more paid job training, educational opportunities, support services, and career development services to young adults, with an emphasis on reaching underserved communities.

$1.32 Million for the Los Angeles Community College District to expand Health Care and Biotech Programs.
This funding would increase access to existing biotech academies and develop new cell culture programs at campuses across the Los Angeles Community College District. These career technical education programs will help meet local industry needs.

$600,000 for the AltaSea Ocean STEM Pathways Program at the Port of Los Angeles
This program would provide Los Angeles area students in grades 3-12 who qualify for free lunches with hands-on educational experiences in four sectors of the Blue Economy: sustainable aquaculture, ocean exploration and mapping, clean energy, and underwater robotics.

$500,000 for a Pre-Employment Transition Services Pilot Project for Students with Disabilities

This funding would allow PRIDE Industries, a non-profit in the Sacramento region, to launch a pilot project to help students with disabilities access pre-employment services. This project would expand transition services like workplace readiness training and work-based learning experiences to students with disabilities in Northern California through a virtual program.

$450,000 to establish a Basic Needs Program for UCLA Students

This funding would allow for the creation of the BruinHub, which will provide space and services for UCLA students impacted by the twin burdens of extreme commutes and housing insecurity. Research shows that 43 percent of students who commute over 60 minutes to UCLA report having slept overnight on or near campus because of the long commute. Earlier this year, Padilla introduced the Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act, bicameral legislation to ensure college students are able to meet their basic needs while pursuing their education.

$340,000 for a Rancho Cordova Youth Center

This funding would assist with the start-up costs of the first year-round youth center in the Rancho Cordova community. The programming will be developed and overseen through a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Sacramento.

$269,000 for the Fire Academy at Lake Tahoe Community College

The Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy at Lake Tahoe Community College provides students with education in fire science that prepares them for careers in wildland and municipal fire service. This funding would allow the Fire Academy to purchase a mobile ventilation training center, which would allow cadets to learn skills to perform proper sounding, cutting and ventilation techniques. These techniques lessen the heat and smoke in structure fires, allow fresh air into buildings, and ensure firefighters can provide for safe rescue for individuals who may be trapped inside.

$250,000 to San Bernardino County for a Program to Connect People with Disabilities with Employers
This funding would allow the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department to hire dedicated staff and develop programming to connect job seekers with disabilities and local employers.

These projects and programs were included in the Senate’s Labor, Health, and Human Services and Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bills. Complete summaries and texts of these bills are available here.

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