LA Trade Technical College grads look forward to brighter job outlook

Corey Moore/KPCC

28-year-old Samuel Bennett, originally from Jamaica, poses with his son David who turned 4 years old on the same day his dad graduated from L.A. Trade Technical College - June 8, 2011. Bennett wants to be a plumber.

Across the Southland this month, public two-year colleges are graduating thousands of students. Many of them have specialized in areas like culinary arts, electrical repair, nursing and fashion design. These grads may enter a more promising job market than their counterparts a year or two ago.

Aside from the deviled eggs he loves to whip up, master chef Eric Warren of South L.A.'s got something else cookin’. Chef Warren was chosen as a finalist on a reality TV competition Oprah Winfrey launched to find the next star on her cable network.

Warren, who wants America to watch him lose weight as he cooks healthy meals, also competed on a popular Food Network program a few years back. All the while, he’s grown his own catering business.

He recently addressed more than 600 graduating students at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. That’s not all he did.

“Well, I’m graduating. I’m in the class," says Warren. "I graduate today with everyone else!”

With his star already on the rise, Warren explained why he wanted to earn a culinary certificate at a community college. “Develop new skills, develop new areas, new ways to cut, different foods and a new way to make it so it’s presentable and having a ‘wow factor’ for the customer that I present it to.”

Warren’s choice of a two-year school to elevate his already-impressive resume underscores why these institutions matter. Many students attend schools like L.A. Trade Tech so they can hold down jobs while they take courses, and graduate with less debt than students at four-year colleges.

Flexibility is a big factor for other students. “Duke” Shay, 25, attended Trade Tech not for two years, but off and on for eight. A learning disability and other self-described tribulations stretched out his road between enrollment and graduation night.

“The best important thing my brother, I made it. Amen. I made it. Thank the Lord for that," said Shay, laughing.

Shay studied air conditioning and refrigeration. He’s applying for jobs now and he's optimistic he’ll land one soon.

“One of my teachers in one of my semesters told me the economy is going to pick up around this time, 2011 to 2012 year," said Shay. "It’s starting to pick up now.”

The numbers seem to back that up. Labor market figures indicate gradual job growth in areas such as trade, transportation, health care, educational services and utilities.

“For our guys it’s not a problem," says Trade Tech teacher Hiro Uchida. "Not a problem at all. All of our students get employment – they get a job somewhere, positions somewhere. I don’t say ‘job.’"

For 26 years, Uchida has taught in Trade Tech’s electrical program. He hasn’t missed a graduation ceremony yet.

Uchida said he's proud that many of his students have landed in top-notch careers despite challenges. “The sad thing is our service area is one of the poorest in the entire country. But as a result they’re coming here to Trade Tech. They’re actually very, very successful. And that’s why they come here.”

Trade Tech is located on the southern fringe of downtown L.A. Most of the student body is latino or black. As more people have enrolled in recent years, the school seems to fall in line with President Obama's plan to add 5 million community college degrees over the next decade.

“We know for example that jobs in the coming years requiring at least an associate degree are going to grow twice as fast as jobs that don’t require college," said Obama. "We will not fill those jobs or keep those jobs on our shores without community colleges.”

Obama offered that prediction last year at the first White House summit on community colleges. Educators say enrollment in these schools has risen by almost 25 percent since the economic recession began a few years ago.

Not every community college student counts out attending a four-year university. But some, including 22-year-old Maria Galvez of Glendale, say they eventually will. “I hope to continue doing nutrition classes and further into some of the more healthier options of cooking and baking.”

Galvez isn’t sure yet where she’ll continue her education. But she’s got a good running start. She landed a job at Porto’s Bakery in Glendale as she completed the professional baking program at Trade Tech.

“We learn everything from breads to pastries, dessert plating, they have some really, really good instructors," said Galvez. "The chefs here are just really friendly, really helpful.”

Although the job outlook may be brighter for students who study in specialized areas, the job hunt is still tough.

Chef Eric Warren told his fellow graduates at L.A. Trade Tech that the search for work will require the same drive they used to push through their training programs. “You may have to come across 45, 55, 65, 75 nos, but when the ‘yes’ comes make sure you’re ready for it.”

Los Angeles County recently granted L.A. Trade Tech and L.A. City College more than a million dollars to enhance short-term technical programs, including highly-regarded green job and energy efficiency training, through the state’s Employment Development Department.