It's just a proposal and needs Congressional approval.  But California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott says if it goes through, his colleges would be in a "strong position" to win some of the competitive grants.  Scott says many career-tech programs are already up and running - but state budget cuts have hindered the creation of new ones.

Scott: "This will be a real shot in the arm for the federal government to say, we're going to assist you in the creation of these workforce preparation, these career-technical programs that are going to actually put people to work."

Career-tech or vocational courses train students of all ages in very specific skills for each job field.  The 175 programs at various California Community Colleges include green-tech, health care and agriculture.