The Gene Haas Foundation donated $250,000 to the Ventura College Foundation to relocate their high-tech manufacturing machines from their current location to the college's Applied Science Center. It's a gift that will help give people jobs and create a much-needed trained employee pool in the region. This state-of-the-art facility promotes manufacturing occupations and enhances workforce manufacturing skills to benefit the entire county. The new equipment will allow students to work directly with industry-level machines, which will increase their readiness and competitiveness in the workforce.

Ventura College Foundation Executive Director Anne Paul King says this is the latest in a series of gifts by the Haas Foundation to help the college's vocational programs. The jobs can start in the $15 an hour range for students, but trained machinists can make $35 an hour by the time they finish their apprenticeships.

Ventura College hosted the grand opening of the Haas Manufacturing Lab on Thursday, October 4. Read more on how the new lab is helping train locals for lucrative manufacturing jobs in the area!