Eight Career Technical Educations (CTE) Programs at Cerro Coso Community College recently earned the California Community College's Strong Workforce Stars recognition for success in helping students reach new heights in earning power and social mobility.
The Administration of Justice and Paralegal Studies Programs received SILVER STAR status; and Business, Business Administration, Clinical Medical Assisting, Licensed Vocational Nursing, Web Professional, and Computer Information Studies all received BRONZE STAR status.
“We are honored to have been recognized by the Strong Workforce Stars Program,” said Cerro Coso President Jill Board. “These awards are the results of the hard work our administration, faculty, and staff are putting in to grow and promote CTE programs at the college, and we couldn't be more proud of the success our graduates are achieving in employment, earnings gains, and regional living wages.”
Strong Workforce Stars is an annual recognition for career education programs also known as career technical education that debuted in 2017 within the California Community College system. It highlights programs whose graduates show significant gains in factors important for advancing social mobility - a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of living wage and a job closely matched with the field of study.
“The Strong Workforce Stars program not only shines a light on effective programs, it provides valuable information for students exploring their program options,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, executive vice chancellor, Workforce & Digital Futures, California Community Colleges. The 2018 Strong Workforce Stars were awarded to career education programs in 12 industry sectors, based on earnings gains, living wage attainment, and employment in field of study.
The Strong Workforce Program is a bold step California took in 2016 to create 1 million more middle-skilled workers, thereby producing a job-ready workforce for employers and lifting low-wage workers into living-wage jobs. Grouped into seven areas targeting student success, career pathways, workforce data and outcomes, curriculum, career education faculty, regional coordination and funding, the leading-edge state economic development program is driven by “more and better” career education. “More” pertains to increasing the number of students enrolled in programs leading to high-demand, high-wage jobs. “Better” aligns with strategies to improve program quality, as evidenced by students completing or transferring programs, getting employed or improving their earnings.
Strong Workforce initiatives and metrics are aligned with those of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, a national initiative designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy.
