Central Valley Career Advancement Academy

 

Program Overview

Introduction

The Central Valley Career Advancement Academy is coordinated by the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) and involves six community colleges that serve five contiguous Central Valley counties. In addition, WIBs, social service agencies, adult schools, Regional Jobs Initiative Workgroups, Madera Community Hospital , Fresno County Office of Education ROP, Fresno Equipment Company, Guardian Industries Corporation, Anlin Industries, Fresno Valves and Casting, Inc., as well as the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Higher Education and Workforce Development Workgroup are involved in this coordinated effort. The partnership strives to create pipelines for 18 to 30 year olds who have dropped out or lack basic skills to obtain the skills and technical training needed to access high skill, high wage employment.

SCCCD and its partners have linked vocational and basic skills coursework using the learning community model. Contextualized basic skills classes in math, English and critical thinking have been implemented using industry vocabulary to teach basic concepts.

Students are establishing connections between academic concepts of critical thinking, math and English through project based learning.

The ultimate outcomes of the continuing model are to increase student completion rates in vocational programs, improve student employment in higher wage jobs, meet the needs of industry for skilled and educated workers, and sustain and replicate the project. The collaborative model is sustainable because industry will support a partnership that produces workers required to remain competitive.

Target Areas

The number one need common to all area industry clusters expressed universally by employers is the need for employees with “soft skills” – those that focus on communication, work ethic and habits, ability to work in teams, and attitude. The second need that emerged from the regional data is a critical need for employees with “basic skills” – reading, writing and mathematics: employers across all industry clusters agreed that potential employees are not academically ready to enter the workforce. Employers have repeatedly stated the need for workers that can process simple mathematical problems and complete written work orders.

The extent of the gap between skill levels and employer needs is unique to the Central Valley . Research by the Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group of the Central Valley Partnership found that the education gap between students in the San Joaquin Valley and the rest of the state is significant, and that Valley students are less likely to be prepared for or attend college than students statewide.

Fresno County ranks as the fifth highest among Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIAs) statewide in its concentration of economically disadvantaged youth. Additionally, the State Department of Social Services estimates that within the central and southern portions of the Central Valley region there were nearly 600 emancipated foster youth in 2001, the most recent year for which data is available.

Area employment opportunities include allied health, computer software, systems software engineering, information systems, criminal justice and correctional systems, automotive technology, CADD/CAM, advanced manufacturing and logistics, welding, maintenance mechanic and office technology.

Project Highlights

A unique challenge presented to the regional partners is the need to reach out to remote, rural areas where the needs for educational support are greatest. Of the poorest 101 communities in the nation identified in 2000 by the U.S. Census Bureau, 13 are located in California 's Central Valley, including Huron, Mendota, Avenal, Firebaugh and San Joaquin .

A case management approach implemented through the local WIBs is offered to qualifying students. College resources have been leveraged, including EOPS, DSPS, CalWORKs, as well as on-campus childcare, counseling and tutoring services.

Merced College

Non-credit classes will be offered in an open entry, intensive format with students enrolled 11 months of the year and attending classes 30 hours each week for 32 weeks. Students are on an unpaid externship for the last 6 weeks of the program, working and becoming familiar with the demands of business and industry.

Reedley College

This project includes an ESL pilot program, based on the Washington State Model designed to ensure access to the career ladder model for economically disadvantaged adults with limited English proficiency. Vocational ESL is taught in the context of work and translators are with students throughout the class day. After initial assessment, students begin by learning English through a hands-on “world of work” class, work-based learning. Students advance to higher level courses with less Spanish and more English taught in the context of maintenance mechanic and welding.

SCCCD/Fresno City College

This program is offering one component of reading/writing contextualized basic skills online. Team teaching of contextualized basic skills classes allows faculty to focus on those skills truly needed for students to succeed in the vocational workplace.

SCCCD, North Center

Madera Community College Center is building a new state-of-the-art Maintenance Technician training facility that will open fall 2009. Curriculum is being developed by the college working in cooperation with industry experts. The building is being designed with the help of local industry experts who have promised internships for students.

Expected Outcomes

Within the anticipated three years of funding for the Central Valley CAA expects to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Students currently not being served through the partner colleges will enter contextualized basic skills and/or vocational training programs.
  • Successful completion rates in vocational programs will increase over current year baseline.
  • Job placement rates for program graduates will increase over current year baseline.
  • Employer and community contributions to meet student needs will expand.
  • Skill gaps not currently addressed in curriculum at partner colleges will be met through the development of new contextualized courses and programs that are portable across colleges within the partnership.
  • Participating colleges will address needs of new and emerging industries within the region.

After CAA funding is completed, each local site will continue to implement the linked vocational/developmental courses with FTE funding. Counseling and other student services functions will be provided through existing college services. Linkages to the WIBs, adult schools, and social service providers in the community established through the grant activities will be maintained through ongoing local service planning teams. College personnel will be integrated into the network of providers established in each community.