The Glendale Community College (GCC) Professional Development Center (PDC) has partnered with the City of Glendale to upskill over 300 City employees. PDC instructors provided the employees with training including Lean Six Sigma, customer service, and project management. Additionally, the City earned more than $63,000 in training funds from the PDC, which can be used for future workforce development.

The PDC, located on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose, since 1985 has been providing state-funded and fee-based training for companies across Southern California. Founded by GCC in cooperation with the State Chancellor’s Office and the California Employment Training Panel (ETP), the PDC has enhanced the knowledge and skills of over 40,000 professionals, helping companies gain new levels of productivity.

The partnership with the City of Glendale was made possible by a California Community Colleges Fund grant from the ETP. Awarded to the PDC in 2021, this highly competitive grant aimed to promote future-focused, sustainable economic development and deliver high-quality job training through collaboration with business, labor and government. The grant allowed PDC to provide state-funded training to non-profit organizations, including the City of Glendale, which are traditionally excluded from such programs.

“The PDC greatly values our partnership with the City of Glendale, which is strengthening our local government and setting a standard for innovation and workforce advancement throughout the region,” said PDC Executive Director Ani Keshishian. “We look forward to continued collaboration as we collectively invest in the development of a skilled, agile, and empowered workforce.”