The Los Angeles Community College District was recently awarded a $15-million California Career Pathways grant. The grant will help them create sustained career programs that will prepare K-12 and community college students with skills and training.

It will also allow them to explore and experience real jobs through internship and apprenticeship programs with partner employers such as Metro, where students may gain valuable insight into careers in transportation.

Metro already works with LACCD to develop an on-the-job training program for mechanics, as well as an apprenticeship program that trains personnel for hard-to-fill rail positions,. The grant money will allow new, long-term programs to be developed to provide more opportunities for students across Los Angeles County.

These programs could see more high school and college interns placed at Metro, where they may be trained in logistics, construction, operations, communications, finance and planning.