Community Colleges Step Up Workforce Training
Published May 27, 2009
A mural saluting the arts adorns the campus of two-year Cosumnes River College.
With 110 community colleges operating in 72 districts, the California Community Colleges system is an important vehicle for delivering workforce training across the state.
Ten strategic, priority initiatives that focus on high-growth, cutting-edge employment sectors form the basis of CCC’s Economic and Workforce Development Program, which operates out of numerous resource centers.
By continually assessing workforce and business development needs across California’s diverse economic regions and industries, the program revs up the colleges’ workforce development engines, enabling them to provide relevant training programs quickly as well as craft career pathways for students.
The Economic and Workforce Development Program also addresses challenges confronting workers, especially those in emerging technology fields. The program “is able to be at the forefront, to be agile in front of employers’ immediate needs,” says José Millan, vice chancellor of economic development and workforce preparation for California Community Colleges.
Millan says the 10 initiatives “are our research and development to go out and find what programs are needed. Then, depending on the volume of demand, we can develop short-term programs for training on a contract basis – or, if necessary, transform training into standardized programs for all of the colleges.”
From Retraining to Video Gaming
The Multimedia & Entertainment Initiative is a prime example. Various offerings at six MEI Centers range from traditional credit instruction to noncredit and fee-based classes. Some even offer low or no cost workshops on digital media subjects or on retraining motion picture union workers, says John Avakian, MEI director.
“Beyond the more direct offerings at the various centers, there are hundreds of digital media programs offered at community colleges across California that are in existence in part because of the curriculum development efforts of the Multimedia & Entertainment Initiative,” Avakian says. As an example, he cites the Creative Entrepreneurship certificate program – developed by the Northern California New Media Center at Mission College – that was based on survey input from industry professionals.
Another MEI success story relates to a series of products and events targeting the video game industry, a significant contributor to California’s economy. MEI cosponsored two industry studies and sponsored a symposium that brought together 70 community college faculty members and 12 game industry professionals to discuss workforce needs in game development and to assess related programs of study.
The initiatives benefit from partners in related industries, all of which provide input and donate time, space and, in the case of MEI, software. MEI’s partners include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Unity3D, Acme Animation and the Entertainment Economy Institute.
Being on the cutting edge of new technologies also means a green emphasis permeates the initiatives.
“One thing I’ve directed all of them to do is focus on green technology within that sector,” Millan says. “For instance, in health care: Using electronic medical records versus paper or choosing supplies made from recyclable materials makes them greener.
“Obviously, the Advanced Transportation Technologies and Energy Initiative deals more directly with hybrid cars, biodiesel, etc. But all the initiatives can stand to incorporate new efforts to go green. ‘Helping an employer to become more green’ is our new mantra,” he says.
Visit www.cccewd.net to find out more.
Story by Carol Cowan
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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