Senate Approves California Middle Class Pipeline Project to Rebuild the Middle Class in the Golden State
SACRAMENTO – The California Senate has voted to approve 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 would work with educational institutions and private industry to reimagine career technical education in the state, bringing it in line with the needs of the 21st century economy. The bill would also fund grants 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 finally focus and broaden state efforts to ensure Californians have access to the training and opportunities they need to succeed.”
Senate Bill 638 would establish the California Middle Class Pipeline Project, 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 would create grant opportunities in high-unemployment and low-income regions of the state, providing local educational agencies with funding to expand and develop programs that will provide Californians with the skills they need to access high quality employment.
SB 638 passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 30-3. 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/