Los Angeles Trade–Technical College (L.A. Trade–Tech, LATTC) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree, certificate, or diploma. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enr ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. It is part of the

Los Angeles Community College District The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is the community college district serving Los Angeles, California, and some of its neighboring cities and certain unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Its headquarters are in Downtown Lo ...

and is accredited by the

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is an accrediting organization in the United States. It accredits private and public colleges that provide students two-year education programs and confer the associate deg ...

(ACCJC),

American Culinary Federation The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is a professional chef's organization established in 1929 in New York City. It was formed as a merge of three chefs' associations in New York City, the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, the Vatel Club and ...

, and League of Nursing, among others.

History

Founded as the Frank Wiggins Trade School in 1925, the college is the oldest of the nine campuses of the

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the school moved to the former campus of

John H. Francis Polytechnic High School John H. Francis Polytechnic High School is a secondary school located in the Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Despite its n ...

, which had relocated to Sun Valley. It then expanded the campus and combined with Metropolitan College to expand its programs. In 1954, the school was renamed Los Angeles Trade–Technical Junior College. In 1969, the college became a part of the

. L.A. Trade Tech's fashion design program is the oldest in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, having started in 1925. During World War Two, the college offered around-the-clock courses so women could train in vocational areas to help the war effort. The college was featured on the PBS television series ''Downtown'' with

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing ''California's Gold'' and his human interest sh ...

Campus

The 25-acre campus is located just south of the Historic Core of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Trade–Technical College (LATTC), is located at 400 West Washington Boulevard, renowned for its

vocational A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity. A calling, in the reli ...

and

technical education A vocational school (alternatively known as a trade school, or technical school), is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary education#List of tech ed skills, secondary or post-secondar ...

programs. Established to serve the diverse educational needs of the community, LATTC offers a comprehensive array of courses ranging from

automotive technology Automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and naval architecture, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software, and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufac ...

and

culinary arts Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...

nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

and

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

trades. The campus spans multiple city blocks and features state-of-the-art facilities including specialized laboratories, modern classrooms, a well-equipped library, and a student center. These resources support LATTC's mission to provide hands-on training that prepares students for successful careers in their chosen fields. Also on-campus, Bucky's Pride Center features computer stations, printers, and a social lounge area, while also providing mental health and wellness services, sexual education, and financial assistance. LATTC's strategic location near major

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

s and accessible by

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...

enhances its appeal to a wide range of students across Los Angeles. With a strong emphasis on practical education and industry-relevant skills, LATTC continues to play a vital role in shaping the workforce of

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

Notable alumni

* Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), architect, attended in around 1945, and known for church architecture in Los Angeles, California * Don Campbell (1951–2020), creator of the hip-hop dance style called locking *

Carole Little Carole is a feminine given name (see Carl for more information) and occasionally a surname. Carole may refer to: Given name * Carole Achache (1952–2016), French writer, photographer and actress * Carole B. Balin (born 1964), American Reform ra ...

(–2015), clothing designer * Matthew G. Martínez (1929–2011),

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

member *

Allan McCollum Allan McCollum (born 4 August 1944) is a contemporary American artist who lives and works in New York City. In 1975, his work was included in the Whitney Biennial, and he moved to New York City the same year. In the late 1970s, he became especial ...

(born 1944),

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based contemporary artist *

Rick Owens Richard Saturnino Owens (born November 18, 1961) is an American fashion designer from Porterville, California. In addition to his main line, Owens has a furniture line and a number of diffusion lines. Early life and education Richard Saturnino ...

(born 1962), fashion designer, owner of the Rick Owens clothing label * Jeffrey Sebelia, fashion designer, winner of

Project Runway ''Project Runway'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on December 1, 2004. The series focuses on fashion design. It was created by Eli Holzman and was hosted by Heidi Klum from 2004 to 2017. It has a varied airi ...

Season 3, and founder of the clothing label "Cosa Nostra" *

Tadashi Shoji Tadashi Shoji (born January 15, 1948) is an American-based Japanese fashion designer known for his evening wear and bridal collections, and his red-carpet fashion.

(born 1948), Japanese-American fashion designer, and owner of Tadashi Shoji and T by Tadashi clothing labels *

Mister Cartoon Mark Machado, better known as Mister Cartoon or more commonly just Cartoon or Toon, is an American tattoo artist and graffiti artist based in Los Angeles, California. He has been described by the ''New York Times'' as an "instrumental figure in t ...

(born 1968/1969), tattoo artist and painter

Notes

References

External links