OFFICIALS LAUD STATE FUNDING FOR GOODS MOVEMENT TRAINING CAMPUS
State-of-the-art training facility will better prepare supply chain workforce for challenges ahead
SAN PEDRO, Calif. - March 24, 2023 - State officials on Friday presented a ceremonial check reaffirming a $110 million pledge to help fund the nation’s first training facility specifically devoted to supply chain workers, located within the San Pedro Bay port complex.
“I was pleased to champion funding for this state-of-the-art training facility, which will be the first of its kind to serve current and future workers,” said State Assemblymember Mike Gipson. “As our ports continue to transition to zero-emissions cargo handling equipment, workers will need to know how to operate and maintain new technologies. This critical resource will support our workers and build a future generation of talent for our state's economy. This is a game changer for our communities.”
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach Goods Movement Training Campus would provide a single and centralized location aimed at attracting, recruiting, and retaining workers in the goods movement sector. The $110 million allocation will be spread across three fiscal years, starting with the 2022-23 state budget with additional amounts in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
“It is the people -- our workforce -- who show up every day to work on our docks, that make our Port strong and competitive,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker. “As the Port continues transitioning to clean, sustainable technologies, it is imperative that we retain the good jobs we have and to grow more in new careers. This center will empower workers in logistics to adapt, maintain and repair zero-emission technologies efficiently and productively. It is equally important to lay out career path opportunities for our future generations to come.”
“We are humbled that our efforts are being recognized and rewarded by this historic investment in our collective future success,” said Ramon Ponce de Leon, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 13. “The members of the ILWU wish to sincerely thank our partners at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as the governor and state legislators of California, for their ongoing support.”
“Located on property between our ports, this training campus will help reveal job opportunities to our neighboring communities,” said Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Lucia Moreno-Linares. “The facility will serve as an access point for educating people about our industry workforce and training them for jobs across our goods movement ecosystem.”
“I commend California Gov. Gavin Newsom for his unwavering leadership and commitment to our ports and its workforce,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Our state and local elected officials supporting this effort recognize the importance of training and development in the goods movement sector. This investment will ensure that we can upskill, reskill and address the rapidly changing needs of the logistics industry while leaving no one behind.”
Centrally located in the San Pedro Bay port complex, the training center will provide new job opportunities for residents of nearby communities while strengthening skills for the existing logistics workforce.
Dockworkers, truck drivers, warehouse employees and other essential logistics workers will have an opportunity to learn how to operate the cutting edge equipment that will help the San Pedro Bay ports enhance air quality, combat climate change and transition to zero-emissions operations by 2035.
The 20-acre campus, expected to open by 2029, is a partnership between the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach, the California Workforce Development Board, the ILWU and the Pacific Maritime Association. The ports will equally split the balance of the project cost while working with partners to secure additional funding for training equipment and curriculum.