California Middle Class Pipeline Project to Rebuild the Middle Class in the Golden State Signed into Law
SACRAMENTO – Yesterday, Governor Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 638, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). The transformative measure would create the California Middle Class Pipeline Project, tasked with eliminating traditional barriers to career technical education and workforce development programs. The Pipeline Project reimagines career technical education in the state, bringing it in line with the needs of the 21st century economy. In conjunction with millions secured in the state budget, the law will create grant opportunities for workforce development programs in high-unemployment and low-income regions of the state.
“The California Dream shouldn’t be limited to narrow paths to achieve the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to California’s economy. Too many young people are channeled into low-wage service jobs while thousands of skilled, high-wage jobs go unfilled,” said Senator Padilla. “Our economy is reliant upon those skilled tradespeople, but our educational system isn’t designed for those demands. That must change. Senate Bill 638 will help break down barriers to opportunity for California’s students and working learners.”
Senate Bill 638 will improve the administration of the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program and establishes the California Education Interagency Council, a groundbreaking new collaboration between K-12 school districts, community colleges, and local industries to expand strong workforce opportunities across the state, including apprenticeship programs. Specifically, the program will focus on regional needs, including the demands of emerging industries such as information technology, artificial intelligence, healthcare, and the green economy. The Pipeline Project would streamline the state’s career education system to ensure that all relevant stakeholders—in both education and local business—work together to help connect Californians with the necessary supports and services they need to enter quality training programs.
A piece of the California State Senate’s Affordability Package, Senate Bill 638 works in conjunction with $1.5 million in the state budget to establish the Pipeline Project and the $150 million secured in the state budget to create grant opportunities in high-unemployment and low-income regions of the state. These grants will provide local educational agencies with funding to expand and develop programs that will provide Californians with the skills they need to access high quality employment. The project will not only improve access to good paying jobs, but also reprioritizes resources in high-unemployment, low-income regions of the state.
Last month, SB 638 passed both the Senate and Assembly with bipartisan support. To learn more about the Senate Bill 638, click here.
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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/