Long Beach City College To Reboot Trades Program, Open New Student Centers
At yesterday’s State of the College event, Long Beach City College Superintendent-President Reagan Romali announced that the college is reviving its trades program this fall. The program includes coursework in automotive technology, construction tech, advanced transportation, engineering tech, welding and electrical, according to a press release. Two new student centers are opening in the fall, including a Multi-Cultural Center – which is described as a resource for African American, LatinX, Asian, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+ and other students – and the Office of Basic Needs, which will help students with issues related to housing, food insecurity and transportation.

Agreement Reached To Advance Dockworker Training, Automation At APM Terminals
With assistance from the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the Pacific Maritime Association (the bargaining group representing ILWU employers) and APM Terminals have reached an agreement allowing automation to move forward at the APM terminal at the Port of L.A. The parties agreed to create a workforce training program related to the new equipment for ILWU members, and to form a Blue Ribbon Commission to study the issue of automated equipment and its impact on the workforce. APM agreed to wait to deploy additional automation projects at the Port of L.A. until 2022.

Mayor Announces Commission Appointments
Mayor Robert Garcia today announced his nominations to four city charter commissions, which will be heard by the Long Beach City Council’s Personnel and Civil Service Committee on July 23. The recommendations will then be forwarded to the full council for approval. Among the appointments are: former 9th District Councilmember Steven Neal to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners; Senior Communications Manager for CSULB Associated Students, James Ahumada, to the Citizens Police Complaint Commission; Pacific6 Enterprises Communications Director Brandon Dowling to the Civil Service Commission; and Former Long Beach City Attorney Robert Shannon to the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners for a second term.

Long Beach Unemployment Rate Ticks Up
Long Beach’s unemployment rate rose from 4% in May to 4.7% in June, according to data from the California Employment Development Department. The unemployment rate for Los Angeles County as a whole remained unchanged at 4.5%.

Virgin Orbit Completes ‘Drop Test’ Of Satellite Launcher, Gains UK Contract
Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit recently made two major announcements. First, on July 10, the company announced it had completed the first “drop test” of its LauncherOne small satellite rocket launcher. The technology is affixed to the wing of a Boeing 747 dubbed “Cosmic Girl,” from which it is released at a high altitude to launch the satellite. The successful drop test means Virgin Orbit will soon transition to its orbital test flight phase, according to a statement from the firm. Following this successful feat, the company announced on July 19 that it was selected by the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force “to provide responsive launch capabilities for a small satellite constellation Operational Capability Demonstrator through a new RAF project named ‘ARTEMIS.’”