Workers looking to get training in the growing manufacturing field will have more opportunities to  enroll in classes at MiraCosta College and connect with local employers thanks to a $110,000 federal grant. MiraCosta College will team with employers in the region to guide curriculum according to industry standards. Courses will take place at MiraCosta’s recently opened Technology Career Institute, where workers for the past year have honed the skills needed to fill a growing demand for industrial technicians in high-tech manufacturing, maritime technology, biotech manufacturing and more. “We are excited to be awarded this grant because it provides yet another opportunity for MiraCosta College to strengthen its ties with local industries and expand training programs that will produce the next generation of technicians for aerospace and defense contractors,” said Linda Kurokawa, MiraCosta College’s Director of Community Education and Workforce Development. “Prospective students can look forward to receiving excellent instruction using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities because of generous grants like this.” The grant comes through the University of Southern California Center for Economic Development’s Managed Career Pipeline Pilot Program. MiraCosta was one of three community colleges awarded the one-year grants. Also receiving awards were Cerritos College in Norwalk and West Los Angeles College in Culver City. The San Diego Economic Development Council notes that San Diego County is home to the largest concentration of military in the world and the largest federal military workforce in the United States. About 22 percent of all jobs in the region are related to defense spending. “This grant will help colleges connect highly trained workers with hands­-on experience to manufacturing companies who need them most,” said Dion Jackson, the Center for Economic Development’s program director who also serves as its Advanced Manufacturing Partnership for Southern California’s project lead. “The businesses that are working with their local community colleges on training programs benefit through new hires who already have experience in their business practices. It’s win-win for the manufacturing industry and prospective workers alike.”