Local News in Brief : Project’s 16 Graduates Expected to Find Jobs

Sixteen poor, unemployed San Fernando Valley residents who graduated Friday from a specially funded machinist training program are expected to have jobs with local businesses within two weeks, one of the program’s organizers said.

Project HEAVY, a nonprofit organization that works with delinquent, unemployed or low-income youths and high-school dropouts, sponsored the project. The National Tooling and Machining Assn. and private businesses helped design and implement the four-month training program.

The program, which cost $4,000 per student, paid for tuition, books, training materials, administrative costs and some transportation and food. It was funded by the Los Angeles City Private Industry Council.