MARYSVILLE – This past month the North Central Counties Consortium (NCCC) was notified that it was one of five agencies awarded a grant to provide innovative employment and training services funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Key to the success of the grant proposal was the collaborative partnerships which have been developed with other public agencies, nonprofit organizations and local businesses.

The funding totaling $770,876 will be subcontracted to the NCCC One-Stops in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sutter and Yuba counties and to the Yuba Community College District (YCCD).

“NCCC is excited to serve as the catalyst to bring more federal resources to our region which will help stimulate the local economy, grow our workforce and provide the North Central Valley another opportunity to continue to be a leader in the alternative energy industry,” said Francene Kennedy, executive director of the NCCC.

The funding will focus on training and job placement for low-income, unemployed, dislocated workers or under-skilled adults ages 18 and older who face challenges in regaining employment.

The projects funded under this grant will play a major role in the recovery and expansion of the local Yuba-Sutter economy and that of the greater North Central Valley Region of California.

Specifically, the Yuba College – NCCC Regional Automotive Technician and Hybrid Technology Project grant of $498,000 is in the alternative energy/fuels industry, and will help prepare and train individuals for the demand industry of automotive hybrid technicians.

This collaborative effort has a twofold purpose: 1) to increase the region’s labor pool of qualified automotive technicians who will possess at least two ASE certifications along with knowledge of hybrid technologies and 2) to provide 1st responder Hybrid Electric Vehicle Safety Training for incumbent workers who are primarily (police officers, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians (EMT’s) and tow truck drivers).

The Regional Automotive Technician project will increase the region’s labor pool of qualified automotive hybrid technicians. This training program is slated to begin later this month. Forty individuals will be served in the Automotive Technician Training and 200 individuals will be trained in the First Responder Hybrid Safety Training.

“The Yuba Community College District is strongly committed to helping those in our community who are unemployed today get the tools necessary to not only get back to work quickly, but also give them the training to remain employed with jobs that will be in high demand well into the future,” said Dr. Beatriz Espinoza, vice chancellor of Educational Planning and Services for YCCD.

NCCC will serve as the fiscal agent however the collaborating partners for the grant also include: Yuba College, the Automotive Advisory and the Public Safety Advisory Committees, Caltrans District 3, Golden State Auto Service, Archie’s Automotive, Wal-Mart Lube, Napa Auto Parts, Dow Lewis Motors, Yuba City Toyota, Yuba City Honda, John L. Sullivan and Wheeler Olds.

The occupations will include automotive technicians serving hybrid alternative vehicles in multiple employer settings such as auto dealers, repair shops, agriculture and farm businesses, public utilities and public agencies with fleets.

Occupations skill advancement for first responders include: fire fighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians (EMT’s) and tow truck drivers.

“Fostering private and public partnerships to get people working in the jobs of tomorrow is the key to spur economic development in our region, which in turn will help alleviate the double-digit unemployment we have seen in our communities over the last couple years,” added Dr. Espinoza. “We are extremely excited about the increased workforce development that these ARRA dollars will bring to our communities.”

The Yuba Community College District spans eight counties and nearly 4,200 square miles of territory in rural, north-central California. It has colleges in Marysville and Woodland, an educational center in Clearlake, and will be adding outreach facilities in Sutter and Colusa counties as part of the Measure J facilities bond.

For more information about YCCD visit www.yccd.edu.