LOS ANGELES, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of Los Angeles' top employers gathered today to support new, comprehensive regional workforce development institute announced by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) President Dr. Roland "Chip" Chapdelaine, and Bank of America Chairman and CEO Kenneth D. Lewis.
LATTC's Regional Economic Development Institute (REDI) will provide both advanced technical and basic skills training to unemployed and underemployed residents in Los Angeles to improve their job placement. Mayor Villaraigosa announced that REDI will be a central job training component of the city's new Regional Workforce Development strategy that enlists community colleges to improve educational, career and economic outcomes for Los Angeles residents and businesses. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation donated $1 million to support the launch and growth of REDI. The center will create new and re- engineered pathways within K-16 education, that will link underserved students with high-demand jobs and industries.
REDI's unique strategy aims to close the gap between the skyrocketing demand for skilled labor in the workforce and job training levels of potential workers in Los Angeles neighborhoods with the region's highest unemployment and underemployment rates, 15 years after the 1992 riots. Recent reports show residents in these communities have lower education and fewer job skills than the rest of the region.
"This historic and innovative partnership between L.A. Trade Tech, the City of Los Angeles and Bank of America will better the lives of hundreds if not thousands of Angelinos," said Mayor Villaraigosa. "With our partners including LAUSD and LA Chamber of Commerce, we are taking unprecedented steps to increase the skills of our current and future workforce. The economic and social well-being of Los Angeles is highly dependent on our success."
"We are committed to the design, delivery and dissemination of state-of- the-art, yet affordable, career-technical, liberal arts and basic skills education programs," said Dr. Chapdelaine. "We applaud Bank of America for its visionary and generous contribution to REDI, and look forward to working with Mayor Villaraigosa and his initiative to supply regional employers with a thoroughly trained workforce."
"For millions of Americans, community colleges provide a crucial window of economic and professional opportunity," said Lewis. "The L.A. Trade Tech College is a model for community colleges across the country that are under more pressure than ever to deliver the highest quality educational resources and experiences for our students and our communities. These institutions need and deserve our support -- and our investment."
The grant to LATTC is one of several significant philanthropic donations by the bank announced as the company over the past several weeks that address critical needs of communities throughout the U.S.
Statistics bear out the immediate need for REDI: A study by the Los Angeles-based Economic Roundtable states 45% of South Los Angeles residents are without a high school diploma, and of those working, 37% are among the state's working poor. Statistics from California's Employment Development Department show South Los Angeles had a 0.4% jobs growth rate from 1993 to 2005, compared to a 24.6% growth rate for the entire county. Research compiled by Los Angeles Trade-Technical College shows an explosion in the need for career-technical workers by the year 2012, including 15,200 new construction jobs, 15,500 new transportation logistics jobs, 61,700 new hospitality and food service jobs and 58,100 fashion industry jobs. LATTC is a leader in career training in all of those disciplines. In many cases, the programs are considered the very best among California community colleges.
Bank of America already employs graduates of LATTC's bank teller and finance programs, and it will now become the first corporate partner of REDI and the Mayor's workforce development efforts. Leaders from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles Unified School District, Greater Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Southern California Gas Company, the California Restaurant Association, and the Apollo Alliance, a sustainable energy collaborative of community and labor organizations, have also agreed to participate.
REDI is currently in a three-year start-up phase. It is unlike any traditional community college program. It is unique for these reasons:
-- Workforce development and educational strategies will establish clear
placement goals
-- The focus will be on high-wage, high-growth sectors
-- The program will teach universal skills and provide hands-on learning
-- Industry will shape curricula design
-- There will be clear placement targets aimed at high-wage sectors
-- Special attention will be placed on the needs of underserved
populations
In addition, LATTC will operate a satellite campus in the Vernon-Central neighborhood and work closely with its feeder schools -- Carver Middle, Jefferson High School and Santee Learning Academy -- and community-based partners.
LA Trade Tech College
The 83-year tradition of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College is filled with innovation and leadership. It has been a comprehensive, and well- respected public community college hoisting a unique mission. It supports 65 two-year certificate programs, designed to provide students with skills which will enable them to immediately enter the workforce upon completion. More than 75% of the students who enroll at LATTC, are interested only in a certificate or career-training, so they can enter the workforce within two years. There are 12 disciplines being taught at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, now considered to be the best and most comprehensive programs of all California community colleges. For more information go to http://www.lattc.edu/
Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy
Bank of America has embarked on an unprecedented 10-year goal to give $1.5 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the quality and vitality of their neighborhoods. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation will give more than $200 million in 2007, making the bank one of the most generous corporate donors in the world. Bank of America approaches giving through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contribute more than 500,000 hours each year to improve the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.
SOURCE: Bank of America
CONTACT: David P. Ysais of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College,
+1-213-763-7063
Web site: http://www.bankofamerica.com/
http://www.lattc.edu/
http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation
