12:00pm | As part of a local effort to assist small businesses in a struggling economy, Long Beach City College has opened enrollment for the second round of their 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative, a partnership with financial giant Goldman Sachs.

Owners of small businesses in Los Angeles County can apply for the program by December 6 by visiting LBCC.edu/10000smallbusinesses or calling 562.938.5020. The first round of the program began over the summer, and classes for the new session will begin in February 2011.

“The Long Beach Community College District is thrilled and honored to continue our partnership with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses to deliver the program to small businesses in the region,” said LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley.

The program is designed to provide greater access to resources like business education, financial capital and business support services for 10,000 small businesses across the nation that otherwise might never have such opportunities to grow and eventually create jobs. “It is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that a combination of education, capital, and support services best addresses the barriers to growth for small businesses,” according to a press release.

Businesses interested in applying must have been in operation for at least two years, earned business revenues between $150,000 and $4 million in 2009, employ at least four people and have a business model that could scale to create more jobs. Each business owner selected will receive a scholarship to cover tuition and program materials.

Disclosure: Long Beach Post Publisher Shaun Lumachi is Chairman of the Long Beach City College Small Business Development Center Advisory Board of Directors.