In an effort to help fill a growing demand for qualified machinists and industrial technicians in the region, MiraCosta College is developing a Technology Career Institute with the help of a $2.75 million federal Department of Labor grant, the college announced.

The grant was one of several announced Sept. 18 in Washington, D.C., that are part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program. MiraCosta is among 12 California community colleges sharing more than $29 million in federal grants for the development of such training programs in partnership with local businesses, according to a MiraCosta news release.

The federal grant will help the college develop a comprehensive training facility designed to prepare participants – including military veterans and the unemployed – for high-skilled, high-paying employment in manufacturing and technology industries, the news release stated.

“This grant will benefit our entire region by allowing us to provide the training for jobs workers want and local employers need to fill,” MiraCosta College Superintendent/President Francisco Rodriguez said in the announcement. “We are thrilled to be a recipient and eager to begin work on growing our own workforce.”