By EMILY SKEHAN Special to the Daily Press
SMC Westside transit workers are about to learn that sometimes it’s easy being green. Santa Monica College received two state grants totaling $865,000 this month to train Big Blue Bus and Culver City Transit Line employees in alternative fuels and hybrid technology, and Southland workers in the field of logistics — the movement of goods and services.
The two grants were awarded by the California Community Colleges’ Chancellors office. The grants will be used by SMC and participating companies, according to the companies’ needs.
The “advanced transportation” grant is in the amount of $437,500, and will be used to train technicians and managers of local bus and transit lines in green transportation practices as the bus companies switch to using alternative-fuel vehicles.
SMC lauds the grant as a great way to connect city services and industries with local employees and students.
“I think that with both grants — and specifically the transportation grant — there’s an opportunity for SMC to partner with our local agency —the Big Blue Bus — to provide all the support they need to continue to provide outstanding support to the community, and to help them be more efficient in doing so,” said SMC Vice President of Planning and Development Marvin Martinez.
The second grant, which totals $427,500, is to provide logistics training in such topics as intelligent systems, project management, quality improvement processes, global-level business practices and product/inventory control. Training will be provided to Nippon Express of El Segundo, Eagle Global Logistics of Torrance, and Performance Team 3PL, with facilities in Compton, Carson and San Pedro.
The field of logistics is rapidly expanding, and provides jobs ranging from truck driving to management posts in inventory control, warehouse operations and production.
It involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging.
SMC is currently in the process of creating a Business Department major in logistics, with its first class — Principles of Logistics — debuting this fall.
“Our mission as a community college is to train,” said Martinez, “and that’s what we’re doing. We’re also trying to help city services save money in their budget to spend somewhere else that they might need it.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 17, 2007. Read the original PDF.