It was a one-sentence blip in a 54-minute speech, but it grabbed the attention of community colleges' educators.

President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech called for increasing support to America's community colleges so they can help train skilled workers. The Bush administration said Wednesday that the Jobs for the 21st Century plan calls for $500 million in new funding for education and job-training programs. Of that, $250 million would land in the laps of community colleges in 2005.

"It's a testament that community colleges are better acknowledged," said Linda Michalowski, a spokeswoman for the California Community Colleges.

If approved as part of the federal budget, grants would be awarded to community and technical colleges partnering with local employers to train future workers. California's 108 community colleges, including some in Orange County, boast 105 work-force centers in fields ranging from health care to automotive technology - giving them an edge, officials said.

"We think California is an excellent position to compete for the funds because we're already providing training for workers," said Bob Cumming, who runs the state's Workplace Learning Resources Initiative.