MUSD Adult Ed receives $30k ARPA Grant from City of Milpitas for Workforce Development

On Wednesday, June 8, 2023, the Milpitas City Council unanimously approved an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Workforce Development grant of $30,000 to launch the Milpitas Adult Education (MAE) Career Training Center, which will ignite new workforce development opportunities for Milpitas residents.

“The success of our local economic growth is directly linked to the expansion of our adult education program,” said MUSD Superintendent Cheryl Jordan.”This aligns with MUSD Strategic Goal #3 to develop educational pathways that allow students to develop their passion in pursuit of their future careers. This grant affirms the City’s commitment to its residents who will benefit from the development of the MUSD Innovation Campus”

The Milpitas Unified School District currently serves over 12,500 preschool thru adult learners and is one of the largest employers of the city of Milpitas. MUSD’s adult education program provides academic classes for English Language Learners, high school credit recovery, GED, high school diploma, and other services to secondary school and adult students. The addition of the Career Training Center will be a key component of the programs and services to be offered at the new MUSD Innovation Campus.  Phase I of the MUSD Innovation Campus will open Fall 2023.

According to Mayor Carmen Montano, "The Milpitas Adult Education (MAE) Career Training Center will play a crucial role in directly empowering our residents with the skills and knowledge needed for meaningful employment. It is a win-win situation for Milpitas as more qualified residents will attract more employers, leading to increased job opportunities and economic growth.”

Director Alex Andrade of the Economic Development & Trade Commission states,  ”The Mayor and City Council recognize the economic importance of having Milpitas residents live, work and play in the city of Milpitas. Their approval to allocate a portion of ARPA funds for workforce development aligns with our Economic Development Strategy Action Plan and will increase employability of our local residents to Milpitas businesses post pandemic.” 

MUSD Board President Chris Norwood adds: “Higher learning during/post high school looks very different from college graduation. It has a variety of twists and turns. We now have the ability to use our funds to further impact our local economy and adult education system. It is win-win for all adult residents.”

MAE Principal Giuliana Brahim also appreciates the approval from Milpitas City Council,”The Milpitas City Council has always attended Milpitas Unified School District events and talked about ways to collaborate on behalf of Milpitas residents. We all recognize there is work to be done to increase local resident employability in Milpitas and this is just the first step of many.”​

Press release