On Friday, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) toured the Inland Empire Jobs Corps in San Bernardino, meeting with instructors and trainees of programs offered by the organization. This is his latest visit to a job training facility since he introduced his bipartisan bill, the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act of 2015, which will help close the skills gap and incentivize local businesses to increase hiring.

“I was glad to have the opportunity to tour the Inland Empire Jobs Corps and to meet with the instructors and students. This is precisely what our community needs—training programs and educational resources to equip our residents with the skills they need to thrive in the 21^st century,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “Their work inspired my first bill to help get our economy moving again. I look forward to continuing to work with our local organizations and my colleagues in Congress to strengthen workforce training opportunities and to put people back to work.”

“Our staff and students have worked hard and continue to work hard to achieve the goals that will lead to a better future. I was very glad the Congressman was able to see and experience first-hand our students’ commitment to change their lives,” said Claudia Lopez, Business and Community Liaison.

Electrical trainee Diana O’Neill said, “We felt that it was pretty cool he took time out of his busy schedule to come see what we’re doing, to actually want to meet us individually and ask our names.”

“Personally, having the Congressman come visit our tile setting shop, in San Bernardino, was an honor. Much pride was felt when shaking his hand,”  added Marianna Garza, tile trainee.

Since taking office in January, Rep. Aguilar has worked with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put Inland Empire residents back to work. Following his Jobs Tour across San Bernardino County, Rep. Aguilar released a Jobs Plan—his plan to kick-start the local economy. It can be read here. In May he introduced his first bill, the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act of 2015, which creates a temporary tax credit to help small businesses pay for the cost of training new hires. He was inspired to write this bill after seeing the success of the Inland Empire Jobs Corps and their dedication to equip locals with the proper skills and tools to find work and thrive in the San Bernardino County economy. 

[[{“fid”:”430″,”view_mode”:”teaser”,”fields”:{“format”:”teaser”,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:””,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:””},”type”:”media”,”attributes”:{“class”:”media-element file-teaser”}}]]