BROKER

Finding Funding for the Coalition

CSI and the other companies wanted to ensure their employees would have complete access to the curriculum they had developed with the Workforce Development Department and the community colleges. The six companies, as a group, pledged to fund 50% of the training costs, if the San Bernardino Workforce Investment Board would cover the other 50%. These percentages amounted to about $100,000 funded by each of the two groups. In addition, the companies also paid their employees to go to the training, and even carved out special times during the work week during which they could attend classes and be mentored by current employees in the jobs for which the worker-students were being trained.

In order to purchase the necessary training equipment, Ms. Halsey secured a $300,000 WIA 15% Governor's discretionary grant. The grant money was arranged to benefit the whole community: the equipment would actually belong to the San Bernardino WDD but would be housed at the two campuses - electrical and electronics equipment at Chaffey College, and mechanical equipment at San Bernardino Valley College. While the equipment would not belong to the colleges, they would be encouraged to utilize it for their regularly scheduled courses in addition to the Craft Technical Training courses.