Southern California Edison donates $100,000 to LA Trade Tech

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(Los Angeles Trade Technical College continues to feel the heat from the California state budget cuts, but for one program, the future may be brighter than others. Schuyler Kenney has the story.)

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said clean energy is vital to the future economic success of the city. Today, LA's largest energy supplier, Southern California Edison, donated one hundred thousand dollars to LA trade tech's green technology education programs.

"Many of our students, although they are coming back for green careers, they sometimes financially aren't able to do so."

That was Marcia Wilson, Director of Grants and Programs at LA Trade Tech. Wilson says most of the money will go the students, not the school.

"We really want to tap into all types of programs that not only help build our infrastructure, but also provide funds that we can give to our students to help them as they matriculate through our green programs."

LA Trade Tech offers a variety of green-technology courses, from solar energy systems to wastewater technology. David Ford, regional manager for southern California Edison, says their money will help keep these programs going.

"Well what it means is a continuation of these types of programs. With the economy the way it is, this allows these programs to continue to be enhanced."

Though the grant will be mostly given to scholarships, student Alex Reyes says the money could be put to better use in the classroom.

"If we just keep doing the same things here, it just going to be obsolete in a few years. So we just have to invest this money, but through technology, through Ipods, through software, because that's where the industry is moving right?"

As of last fall, the program enrolled 581 students and offered eight different green certificates or degrees.

(Schuyler Kenney, Annenberg Radio News.)