Students looking into Green Job Education are getting a boost, thanks to the application efforts of the Ventura College Foundation office and Southern California Edison.

Southern California Edison (SCE) is in the process of giving $1 million to the development of Green Job education and training at community colleges.

“The Green Jobs Education Initiative holds the triple crown in our philanthropic portfolio,” said SCE President John R. Fielder in a press release statement made on the official Ventura College website. “It will support education programs for college students, encourage environmental sustainability efforts and prepare skilled employees for the growing green jobs workforce. It also has the additional economic benefit of supporting students and colleges facing crippling financial pressures.”

The Green Job Education Initiative grant will allocate scholarships of $1,000 to dozens of Ventura College students each year for at least two years, according to Development Director of the Ventura College Foundation Diana Dunbar.

“Ventura College qualified for this grant by having a solid career and technical education division, which offers green job certification programs in the areas Water Science, Construction Technology-Construction Management, Architecture Drafting and Automotive Technology,” said Dunbar. “The Ventura College Foundation applied for this grant on behalf of Ventura College. We were one of ten California Community Colleges to receive this Southern California Edison funding.”

According to the Green Jobs Curriculum, the program is designed to combine the VC Career and Technical Education programs with Green Education, Training and Skill Requirements. Green Job training will allow students to compete for up-and-coming career opportunities in companies that are competing on a global market for energy efficiency.

“Ventura College will invest its SCE grant funds in the California Community College Scholarship Endowment which will give VC a $50,000 match from the Bernard Osher Foundation,” said Dunbar. “As a result, this match will create endowed scholarships which will be awarded every year in perpetuity.”

The application process to receive a scholarship through the Ventura College Foundation ended on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Now, the scholarship committee will look over applicants and choose who will be awarded the scholarships, according to Dunbar. The recipients will be awarded their scholarships at the Foundation’s annual gala award ceremony at the Ventura Marriott on May 1, 2010.