Alameda Corridor Job Training Program Meeting Goals to Provide Skills to Local Residents

DECEMBER 14, 2000

Fifty-seven local residents graduated from the pre-apprenticeship training program last week, and 25 graduated from the non-trade training program, bringing to 661 the number of local residents who have completed the program. With more than a year remaining in the program, ACTA is now two-thirds of the way to achieving its goal of training 1,000 local residents.

Recent graduates were honored Thursday during a brief ceremony at the monthly meeting of the Governing Board of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA).

“All of the job training graduates should be proud of completing the program and securing job skills that will last a lifetime, and I want to congratulate them for their hard work,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Rudy Svorinich, Jr., chairman of the ACTA Governing Board. “At the Alameda Corridor, we are proud to play a part in enhancing the future of local residents.”

An orientation for job training applicants is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, December 15. The orientation will be at the South Gate campus of East Los Angeles College, 2340 Firestone Blvd., South Gate. The program is available only to residents of Alameda Corridor communities. Proof of residency is required.

Those interested in applying for the program are encouraged to call the Job Training Information Line at (877) 435-9191. ACTA is also aggressively encouraging women to participate in the program.

The job training program requires that the contractor for the Mid-Corridor Trench, Tutor-Saliba, provide job training for 1,000 local residents – 650 in construction trades and another 350 in non-trade work.

In addition, 30 percent of all work hours on the Mid-Corridor Trench must be performed by local residents, and 30 percent of those hours must be performed by program graduates.

Participants in the construction trade training program receive 400 hours of classroom instruction and on-the-job training over eight weeks and become eligible for union apprenticeships in their chosen trade. Non-trade training consists of 20 hours of classroom instruction emphasizing construction-industry specific skills in areas such as computers, clerical and drafting. Placement services are provided for both groups.

So far, 479 local residents have graduated from the construction trade training program. Of those, 320 have been placed in jobs on the Alameda Corridor project or other regional construction projects. Another 182 local residents have completed the non-trade training.

Tutor-Saliba and its subcontractors work closely with community groups to recruit local residents for the program.

“ACTA is ensuring that local residents directly benefit from the project by receiving lifelong job skills,” ACTA Chief Executive Officer James C. Hankla said. “We’ve made significant progress, and we’ve committed ourselves to achieving our job training goal just was as we have our business outreach goal.”

With 98 percent of all contract values awarded, the Alameda Corridor Business Outreach Program has achieved its goal of ensuring that 22 percent of all contracts go to disadvantaged businesses.

ACTA, a joint powers agency that includes the cities and ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is building a 20-mile railroad freight expressline linking the ports to the transcontinental rail yards just east of downtown Los Angeles. The $2.4 billion project will speed the flow of cargo and ease traffic congestion by eliminating conflicts at more than 200 at-grade railroad crossings. Construction began in May 1997, and the Alameda Corridor remains on schedule to open in April 2002.

CONTACTS:
PHIL HAMPTON (562) 435-5551
BERNIE EVANS  (310) 233-7480

[ BACK]    

[ NEXT]