Forty Wilmington Students Learn Basic Safety Skills at Northern California Maritime Academy; Port of Los Angeles and Metropolitan Stevedore Co. Co-Sponsor Training Sessions at Cal Maritime Campus in Vallejo.

SAN PEDRO, Calif. -- Forty Wilmington students from Phineas Banning High School's Global Safety & Security (GSS) Academy will have a unique opportunity to receive basic mariners safety training at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif., next week.

The Port of Los Angeles will provide transportation for the participants to Vallejo and a $20,000 sponsorship from Metropolitan Stevedore Co., a general and bulk cargo and passenger vessel terminal operator headquartered in Wilmington, enabled the students to participate in the training.

"I applaud the businesses and community in Wilmington for being so supportive of their students. It is through great programs such as Global Safety & Security Academy that our youths can discover opportunities available to them in world trade careers connected to the region's maritime and goods movement industries," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Through the training, participants will learn skills such as firefighting, and personal survival techniques as well as educating them on careers in maritime safety and security.

The students are part of a new academy in Banning High School that will help give them an understanding about global trade and related careers.

The GSS Academy, which began last year with 60 sophomores, is one of three academies at Banning High School that are part of the International Trade Education Program (ITEP). While only one-third of the students graduate from Banning's High School, nearly 95 percent of the students who participate in ITEP earn a high school diploma.

California Maritime Academy is a specialized campus of California State University and is one of only seven maritime academies that offer a degree program in the nation.

The Port of Los Angeles is America's premier port. As the leading container port in the nation and a critical hub in the international supply chain, the Port generates thousands of stable, well paying jobs. It has also placed a high priority on smart growth initiatives combined with high security, environmental stewardship and community outreach. The Port of Los Angeles is a proprietary, self-supporting department of the City of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles ... Anchoring a bright future.