California will invest $110 million to add a training facility for the Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles in an effort to enhance the supply chain workforce.
"This investment will ensure that we can upskill, reskill and address the rapidly changing needs of the logistics industry while leaving no one behind," Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement.
The Goods Movement Training Campus will not only build skills for the existing logistics workforce, but also serve to attract, recruit and retain workers in the goods movement sector.
The training campus, located in the San Pedro Bay complex, will also help the ports in their goal of reaching zero-emissions by 2035 in terms of cargo-handling equipment and drayage truck fleet.
"Dockworkers, truck drivers, warehouse employees and other essential logistics workers will have an opportunity to learn how to operate the cutting edge equipment that will help the San Pedro Bay ports enhance air quality, combat climate change and transition to zero-emissions operations by 2035," according to the press release.
Besides the two ports, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the California Workforce Development Board will also partner on the development of the project to manage additional funding for training equipment and curriculum. The 20-acre facility is set to open by 2029.
Throughout the pandemic there has been a focus on improving supply chain fluidity as ports faced backlog and labor challenges.
The need to clear congestion and get cargo moving led to a string of investments such as the Biden Administration signing the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The legislation added about $100 billion in funding through a series of grant programs to address supply chain inefficiencies with one program addressing port congestion and improving the movement of goods.
