NEWS FLASH: College of the Canyons has just received approval of  $350,000 in funding as part of a California Community College Economic and Workforce Development Industry Driven Collaborate (IDRC) to offer a  Robotic Welding Automation component to its existing Welding Technology program. The bulk of the funding will provide for the purchase of additional equipment, supplies, and curriculum development. One of the major components of the grant for the program is achieving approval as an AWS Certified Robotic Arc Welding  (CRAW) training and testing facility -- More news to follow as additional events unfold pending current CA state budget approval.