Congressman Robert Garcia Secures Long Beach City College Nearly $1 Million in Federal Funding to Train “Space Beach” Workforce and Bolster Aerospace Program
Long Beach, CA. – Thanks to the advocacy of Congressman Robert Garcia, Long Beach City College (LBCC) will receive $963,000 from the Community Project Funding to update the college's engineering and aerospace programs. The federal investment will fund advanced manufacturing equipment to train LBCC students as skilled technicians for the growing "Space Beach" aerospace industry hub in Long Beach.
The funding will allow LBCC to purchase equipment like 3D printers, a laser wire additive printer, a surface grinder, and more to update LBCC teaching labs. Purchases will be made with guidance from aerospace partners like SpaceX and Relativity Space. The revitalized aerospace industry in Southern California, nicknamed "Space Beach", has led to a surge in demand for skilled workers. Aerospace job postings in LA County grew nearly five times from 2012 to 2022, with technician roles paying $30-36 per hour.
"I am thrilled to see the hard work of our community and the collaboration with NASA come to fruition with this significant opportunity for Long Beach City College. By securing these resources, we are ensuring that LBCC can offer an education that'll keep our workforce at the forefront of innovation and our industry ahead in the global arena," said Congressman Garcia." This funding is not just an investment in cutting-edge manufacturing equipment; it’s an investment in the future of Long Beach, in the bright minds that will lead our space industry, and in the economic mobility of our community.”
"We are so grateful to Congressman Garcia for his work to secure this vital funding, which helps LBCC boost its Space Beach curriculum into the future,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC Superintendent-President. "With over 47% of current aerospace employees having an associate degree or less, community colleges are critical for training this workforce. Key funding like this ensures that LBCC remains prepared to fulfill this need and enables us to grow our aerospace, engineering and other STEM programs.”
“In the last 20 years, Southern California has experienced tremendous losses in middle-skill aerospace jobs,” said Vivian Malauulu, Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees President. “Major companies like Spin Launch and Relativity Space created a new ecosystem of technology companies in the wake of Boeing’s scaling down in Long Beach in 2005, and I am so excited about the job opportunities they provide to our LBCC students. We are so fortunate to have a champion like Congressman Garcia fighting for our students in DC.
The Long Beach City College investment continues Congressman Garcia’s long-time support for our local educational institutions. He will continue to ensure that federal dollars support local city and university and college needs. Since coming to Congress, Congressman Garcia has helped secure transformational grant money for community investments for the Long Beach area, including $15,775,000 to purchase new electric school buses for Long Beach Unified School District.
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