Excerpt:

California's Department of Industrial Relations' (DIR) Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) has announced an apprenticeship partnership with the Alameda Point Collaborative and the San Leandro Adult School to provide career opportunities in landscaping for low-income residents of the Collaborative.

"This is the first Landscaping Apprenticeship program in the state and we are thrilled to forge new avenues to employment with the Collaborative and the San Leandro Adult School," said DIR Director Christine Baker.

The newly-formed partnership will consist of over 288 hours of classroom instruction, and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training over a two year period. All apprentices will be guaranteed a paid, part-time apprenticeship and will receive salary increases periodically over the two-year period.