With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
Chaffey College Gets $2.9 Million To Build A New Welding Center
The nearly $3 million grant will get the welders out of temporary quarters in the parking lot that currently need to be broken down and rebuilt daily.
(
Courtesy of Chaffey College
)
Chaffey College is getting nearly $3 million to build a new welding instruction facility. The goal is to prepare more students for careers in a growing but often overlooked industry.
Although the school's main campus is in Rancho Cucamonga, the new facility will be built in Fontana, at its Industrial Technical Learning Center, known as InTech.
Chaffey's welding students currently don't have a great workspace. In fact, they have to set up and tear down their stations in the parking lot every day. That's all changing soon.
(
Courtesy Chaffey College
)
(
Courtesy Chaffey College
)
Support for LAist comes from
"It will be a state of the art welding lab in terms of the equipment that we intend to install there and it will now go from, instead of having just 12 bays or work stations, we're going to have 16," said Sandra Sisco, director of economic development at the Chaffey College Intech Center.
She says there has been a shortage of welders over the past decade, leading to plenty of well-paying job opportunities.
"Just in the Inland Empire alone, there's almost 500 job openings every year," she says.
As of 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an average hourly wage for welders in California of nearly $24, approximately $49,000 a year for full-time work. Experienced welders can make significantly more. Welders usually need a high school education plus on-the-job training to get hired.
The minimum wage in California is currently $13-14 an hour, depending on how many people a company employs.
The cost of training via the Chaffey College program is low, Sisco says, with most students paying little to nothing for the instruction.
Construction on the new welding facility is expected to get underway within the next 12 months. Funding is coming from a state allocation.
Support for LAist comes from
Chaffey, which is a community college, was also among the schools and non-profit organizations that recently received major gifts from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, who donated $2.7 billion to 286 organizations.
Scott said one of the considerations was a desire to focus on two and four-year colleges in traditionally underserved communities. Chaffey officials say they plan to use the $25 million gift to "support students who are the first in their families to go to college, students of color and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds."
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The historic properties have been sitting vacant for decades and were put on the market as-is, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $1.75 million. -
Users of the century old Long Beach wooden boardwalk give these suggestions to safely enjoy it. -
The Newport Beach City Council approved a new artificial surf park that will replace part of an aging golf course. -
The utility, whose equipment is believed to have sparked the Eaton Fire, says payouts could come as quickly as four months after people submit a claim. But accepting the money means you'll have to forego any lawsuits. -
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol.
Best of LAist