Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, presented Santa Ana College with an $850,000 federal funding check Friday to expand workforce training programs that are expected to serve 200 additional students each semester.
The funding, secured by Correa through the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process, was used to create infrastructure for the college’s automotive technology, diesel-electric transportation technology and robotics manufacturing, and welding programs.
“Families in Orange County want access to good jobs that don’t require a four-year degree and a mountain of debt — like jobs in the trades, in manufacturing, and in transportation,” Correa said. “This investment means 200 more students a semester get hands-on training and a real shot at those careers.”
The programs have at times had more than 400 students on waiting lists, according to Correa’s office. The trades for which students are trained pay median hourly wages of roughly $28 to $41.
“We are not just expanding a facility, we are expanding opportunity for the workforce Orange County depends on,” said Annebelle Nery, president of Santa Ana College.
The funding will support retrofitting a vacant lot and adjacent classroom space as part of a $4.865 million project. Once completed, the project is expected to add five automotive, two diesel technology and three welding courses each semester.
Correa previously secured $2 million in fiscal year 2023 funding to help dislocated and at-risk community members obtain employment skills and $850,000 in fiscal year 2024 to renovate workforce training facilities at Santa Ana College, according to his office.