AVC TO SHARE IN $15 MILLION SPACE PIE GRANTS TO PREPARE WORKERS FOR INDUSTRY JOBS.

Byline: Daily News

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley College is one of 68 California agencies that will share in a $15 million federal grant with the goal of preparing workers for high-skill, high-wage jobs to keep the state's space industry competitive with other regions.

The college will receive $300,000 over three years as it joins with other agencies to identify and assess industry and training needs. The money will pay the partial salaries of two faculty members and two administrators on the project, as well as cover supply and equipment costs.

AVC will conduct its work under the umbrella of the California Space Authority, which was selected as the lead agency on the federal Department of Labor Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant.

The California Space Authority has established partnerships with industry and work-force organizations in what it terms the ``Innovation Corridor,'' a 13-county area stretching from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area.

``It's evident that we're moving in the right direction serving the needs of the aerospace community,'' said college President Dr. Jackie L. Fisher Sr. ``That's what the community college is all about: meeting the needs of the community.''

Thirteen regions across the United States were awarded the WIRED grants, totaling $195 million. The purpose of the grants is to assist entire regions with additional technical and financial assistance to develop innovative approaches to education and work-force development.

The initiative is designed for regions that have been affected by global trade, are dependent on a single industry or are recovering from natural disasters.

In a news release Thursday from the state's Employment Development Department, which will administer the grant, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed appreciation for the grant as a way to keep California's space industry competitive.

``Innovation, education and entrepreneurship - those are the keys that will open the door to challenging and rewarding jobs in the space enterprise industry for California workers,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``That is exactly what the California Space Authority is doing with its thoughtful strategy to keep California competitive in the global economy of the 21st century. I am grateful to the Department of Labor for recognizing our state's potential and commitment toward staying in the forefront of innovative work-force development.''