State officials 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 within the San Pedro Bay port complex.
“As our ports continue to transition to zero-emissions cargo handling equipment, workers will need to know how to operate and maintain new technologies,” said Assemblyman Mike Gipson, who advocated for funding of the project, in a statement. “This critical resources will support our workers and build a future generation of talent for our state’s economy.”
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 the following years.
“It is the people, our workforce, who show up everyday to work on our docks, that make our port strong and competitive,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Tim McOsker in a statement. “This center will empower workers in logistics to adapt, maintain and repair zero-emission technologies efficiently and productively.”
Dockworkers, truck drivers, warehouse employees and other essential logistics workers will have an opportunity to learn how to operate the 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 ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the California Workforce Development Board, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association.
“Our state and local elected officials supporting this effort recognize the importance of training and development in the goods movement sector,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, in a statement. “This investment will ensure that we can upskill, reskill and address the rapidly changing needs of the logistics industry while leaving no one behind.”
