ANNANDALE, Va. — President Obama called on Congress on Monday to create an $8 billion fund to train community college students for high-growth industries, giving a financial incentive to schools whose graduates are getting jobs.

The fund was part of Obama’s proposed budget for 2013.

The White House says the “Community College to Career Fund” would train 2 million workers for jobs in potential growth areas such as electronic medical records and cyber security within sectors such as health care, transportation and advanced manufacturing.

A key component of the community college plan would institute “pay for performance” in job training, meaning there would be financial incentives to ensure that trainees find permanent jobs – particularly for programs that place individuals facing the greatest hurdles getting work.

It also would promote training of entrepreneurs, provide grants for state and local government to recruit companies, and support paid internships for low-income community college students.

Obama said community colleges need resources to become community career centers where students can learn skills that local businesses need immediately.

“This should be an engine of job growth all across the country, these community colleges, and that’s why we’ve got to support them,” Obama said.

Obama pointed to programs in Louisville, Ky., Charlotte, N.C., and Orlando, Fla., as good examples.

• UPS overnight workers in Louisville get a tuition-and-book benefit at the University of Louisville or Jefferson Community and Technical College as part of a program designed to help the company recruit and retain workers.

• Central Piedmont Technical College in Charlotte created a two-year degree in mechatronics, which combines skills in mechanical, electrical and computer fields.

• In Orlando, Northrop Grumman has aggressively hired laser technicians who completed a program developed by Valencia College because of demand.