Los Angeles is one of 21 communities that has signed on to President Barack Obama’s newly announced TechHire Initiative aimed at quickly training people for jobs in the technology industry and connecting them with employers.
Obama announced the program Monday at the National League of Cities meeting in Washington, D.C.
The Los Angeles effort will be spearheaded by Los Angeles City College, Santa Monica College and Pasadena Community College, with funding through California Career Pathways Trust funds, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office.
“Our TechHire initiative will help train our deep and diverse homegrown talent to compete for these high-paying, 21st Century jobs. Their success will benefit our neighborhoods, our economy and our city as a whole,” Garcetti said.
According to the mayor’s office, the local initiative — dubbed Los Angeles High Impact Information Technology, Entertainment-Entrepreneurship and Communication Hubs, or LA HI-TECH — will allow 4,000 high school and community college students to get technology, entertainment and communication industry training.
Eight community colleges, 30 high schools, local school districts and charters are among those taking part in the effort, along with 100 employers, Garcetti said.