Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Tuesday announced LA MADE 4.0, a partnership aimed at providing training and career opportunities in manufacturing.
“Los Angeles is a manufacturing capital, a place where dreamers from around the world come to build tomorrow’s innovations today,” Garcetti said. “Manufacturing jobs are the bedrock of our economy, and LA MADE 4.0 will give more Angelenos the tools and training they need to secure middle class careers in smart manufacturing.”
LA MADE 4.0 is a partnership among the city, Goodwill Southern California, the UCLA-based Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
The program will include training in manufacturing sectors such as aerospace and defense, as well as food and beverage, biotechnology and fashion industries.
According to Garcetti’s office, the effort will retrain 3,000 manufacturing workers by 2022, providing them with the skills for “smart manufacturing” jobs in the future. It will also place 400 workers in pre-apprenticeships for entry-level manufacturing jobs and 100 more people will be placed in apprenticeships by 2022.
Workers going through the program will have access to a “state-of-the-art” maker space that is being developed by CESMII at UCLA.
“Smart manufacturing is about unlocking the potential of data to drive energy productivity and boost performance and precision,” said John Dyck, the CEO of CESMII. “But none of that is possible if we don’t get workers ready to make the most of these new opportunities.”
Goodwill Southern California will provide training services through the Strong Workforce Apprenticeship Group, which has simplified the process for manufacturers to participate in apprenticeship programs, officials said.