Culver City, CA —Rep. Watson, Chair of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus, was honored by West Los Angeles College (WLAC) on May 29, 2008 for her role in securing grants for entertainment industry trade job training for the college.

Rep. Watson pledged her continued support to the college at a reception held in her honor. The school received two grants for a total of $2.5 million to drive job training in the entertainment industry trades at WLAC. The event also served as a hands-on training day for students of the Hollywood Center Production Resources (HCPR), an entity which partners with West Los Angeles College to provide entertainment trades education.

“I am so inspired by the program here,” said Watson who pledged her support to further and expand the West Los Angeles College programs.

“These young people are training for the kinds of jobs that will make them economically independent throughout their lives,” stated Rep. Watson. “These students will produce art work that goes around the globe.”

Rep. Watson, a product of California community colleges and a long-time advocate for them said, “I owe everything I am today to community colleges. They gave us the platform we needed to go on to universities.”

West Los Angeles College is no stranger to the film business. The 80-acre campus was once MGM Studio’s backlot and some accounts say scenes of Gone With the Wind were filmed on part of what is now college property. The college also enjoys the support of  local studios which include Fox Entertainment Group and Sony Pictures Entertainment.