Fontana, CA – The James Irvine Foundation awarded the Chaffey College Foundation a $1.3-million grant this month to support pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs at the Industrial Technical Learning Center in Fontana.

The two-year grant will provide accelerated training programs and paid internships in advanced manufacturing for low-income Inland Empire residents.

Chaffey College Superintendent/President Dr. Henry Shannon said the grant will help InTech continue to close the gap between skilled workers and the needs of industry in the region.

“We are grateful to the James Irvine Foundation for its generosity,” Shannon said. “This support will change many lives by giving more students access to a quality education and lucrative careers.”

Sandra Sisco, director of Chaffey College economic development and the InTech Center, said the grant will help InTech strengthen the Inland Empire’s economic footprint by training its residents to take on in-demand careers.

“The James Irvine Foundation grant is critical to helping InTech continue building partnerships with employers, which allows us to offer training programs specifically designed by industry to meet their employment needs,” Sisco said.

Programs benefiting from the grant include welding, machining, additive manufacturing, as well as heating, ventilation air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R). The grant will also support a new industrial electrical and mechanical pre-apprenticeship pathway. Students who successfully complete one of these programs will then be eligible to be placed at a company for a 240-hour paid internship at $17 an hour.

“The Chaffey College Foundation is pleased to be able to facilitate public-private partnerships such as The James Irvine Foundation’s Better Careers initiative,” said Foundation Executive Director Lisa Nashua. “This partnership benefits the community by helping Chaffey train Inland Empire residents for living-wage jobs.”

U.S. manufacturing is facing an unprecedented talent shortage as the economy continues to grow and the aging workforce looks to retire. In a 2018 study by The Manufacturing Institute, there will be an estimated 2.4 million jobs that will go unfilled by 2028 due to a lack of skilled workers available to take those positions.

For employers interested in selecting a paid intern, contact Rosalinda Rivas at (909) 652-8482 or rosalinda.rivas@chaffey.edu. For general information or to learn about qualifications to participate in one of InTech’s training programs, contact the InTech Center at (909) 652-8488.