A group of California community colleges this week were awarded almost $18 million in federal grants for the development and expansion of career training programs in advanced manufacturing, transportation and health care.

Several other California community colleges were part of consortiums with community colleges in other states that were granted almost $40 million to continue to develop partnerships with local employers seeking an educated workforce from which to hire.

The grants are the second installment of the $2 billion, four-year Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative, an Obama administration program designed to promote skills development and employment opportunities among students.

The U.S. Department of Labor is implementing and administering the program in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education.

Colleges will use the funds to create affordable training programs that meet industry needs and invest in staff and educational resources.

In total, 297 schools across the country will receive grants as individual applicants or as members of a consortium. The grants include 27 awards to community college and university consortia totaling $359.2 million and 27 awards to individual institutions totaling $78.2 million.

“These grant dollars further our college’s vital role in preparing students for jobs that will help California’s economy,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, vice chancellor of the California Community Colleges Workforce and Economic Development division. “This is an investment in our community colleges, and the role we play in meeting the demands of industry for a skilled workforce.”

Los Medanos College was the consortium leader for a California higher education group that received a grant of $14.9 million to create a regional workforce system that includes the development of career paths in the individual colleges and across the consortium.

The college group will do this through creating stronger ties between the colleges and the One-Stop Career Center system and by developing more career transfer pathways from the community colleges to the University of California and the California State University systems.

In addition to Los Medanos College, the consortium includes Berkeley City College, Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Ohlone College, College of Alameda, Chabot College, Laney College, Merritt College, Solano Community College, California State University East Bay and University of California, Berkeley.

East Los Angeles College was awarded $3 million to increase the college’ success in preparing workers for logistics jobs at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest port.

Cerritos College was part of the Tyler (Texas) Junior College Consortium that was awarded $12 million. City College of San Francisco and Los Angeles Valley College teamed with the Fortsyth (North Carolina) Technical Community College Consortium for a total of $14.9 million and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College joined the Northern Virginia Community College Consortium and will receive a piece of the $12.3 million grant.

“These federal grants are part of the Obama administration’s ongoing commitment to strengthening American businesses by strengthening the American workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, a former trustee with the Rio Hondo Community College District. “This strategic investment will enhance ties among community colleges, universities, employers and other local partners while ensuring that students have access to the skills and resources they need to compete for high-wage, high-skill careers.”

The grants emphasize evidence-based program design and each grantee is required to collect student outcome data annually and conduct final evaluations at the end of the grant period. This will yield best practices in placing graduates in jobs that can then be shared with other colleges.

For more on the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Workforce and Economic Development division, visit www.doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu .

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation. It is composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.4 million students per year.