SELACO and UC Irvine Extension Partner to Keep Jobs in California
IRVINE, Calif. – February 2004 – Workers for corporations and small businesses in the manufacturing industry can get top-notch, university training on-site at the workplace, customized for their particular company. For free.
UC Irvine Extension is a training partner with SELACO-WIB (SELACO for short), which stands for Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board. This non-profit agency, founded in the early eighties, works with state and federal funding to assist dislocated workers and help businesses in the Los Angeles region. In conjunction with the ETP, or Employee Training Panel, SELACO can assist manufacturing firms anywhere in the state.
It's no small program. "From $70-100 million dollars of funding is allocated to ETP each year," says Larry Lee, Business Services Manager of the SELACO-WIB ETP program. "Since its inception, the program has reached out to more than 50,000 employers, training over 550,000 workers."
Despite dire industry cutbacks and downsizing, with manufacturing jobs going overseas – California has lost more than 283,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2001, accounting for 16% of California's workforce – the statistics are heartening for workers who have gone through this program, compared to those who have not:
- 20% higher average wage increase
- 97% still employed a year after completing the program
SELACO selects their own training vendors such as UCLA and UC Riverside, and "we are now so delighted to be working with UC Irvine Extension , servicing even more workers in the Orange County-San Diego area."
Who is eligible, and what are the requirements? "The manufacturing spectrum is broad. Companies, for example, that make metal parts or plastic devices, food products, bio-med, bio-tech, or software, are manufacturing firms--in short, if you make something, you are in essence a manufacturer," says Lee. The employers must face out-of-state competition, and the employees of these companies must make the wage requirement in their particular area, and benefits can count toward the wages. They must be in the job for 90 days prior to training, as well as 90 days after completion of the program.
"It's a winning situation for all involved." Workers become more valuable employees and enhance their skills and education (something they cannot always afford to do otherwise) while earning Extension credits. Manufacturing firms see increased profits, improved productivity, reduced cycle times. And the California workforce is strengthened as well.
Contact UC Irvine Extension representative Debbie Nielsen at (949) 824-1639 or dfnielse@uci.edu or SELACO representative Larry Lee at (800) 481-6555 x1245 for more information.
UC Irvine Extension is the nonprofit, continuing education branch of the University of California, Irvine. It is self-supporting and offers life- and career-enhancing programs in many areas, including over 50 professional learning pathways. To request a UC Irvine Extension catalog, call (949) 824-5414 or visit www.unex.uci.edu .
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