Leading the LARC: Dr. Narineh Makijan

Pam Sornson, JD on May 1, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

May 3, 2022

The leader of the newly minted Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC) couldn’t be more excited to get to work. In her 20-year career in student counseling and career & technical education programs, Dr. Narineh Makijan has focused on connecting learners at all levels to jobs and employment in the LA County area. Her new role as PCC’s Assistant Vice President and Regional Chair of the LARC will allow her to continue that work on a scale she had never before considered.

 

Parsing the LARC

The LARC itself poses an immense challenge and an equally immense opportunity. The strategy behind its formation is to build a collaboration among the County’s 19 community colleges that leverages existing and emerging workforce development (WFD) resources to build the County’s post-COVID economy. The process it will follow to achieve that end, however, is decidedly unclear.

Until the LARC’s creation, there had been no genuinely collaborative discussions around building WFD resources among the schools. Each pursued its WFD ends as those related most closely to the needs of its local constituents. Consequently, the schools now are in differing stages of their WFD evolution, with some being further along than others. Just starting the collaboration conversation will require an intense assessment of the resources currently in existence at each college and a further evaluation of how those resources tie together, if at all.

Fortunately for Dr. Makijan, and as a wise precondition to receiving LARC funding, the State required the development of a well-defined governance structure and the articulation of principles that would guide its efforts.

 

LARC’s Governance Structure

A multitude of leaders from each LA County college have roles to play somewhere within the LARC organization:

Each of the school’s CEOs sits on the CEO Board, which is presided over by a chancellor.

A Workforce Council oversees the effort of four goal-oriented workgroups: Career Pathways, Student Employment, Work-based Learning, and Employer Training.

Deans, faculty, ‘career service talents,’ employers, and other college leaders populate each workgroup, which then informs the Council on developments, innovations, progress, etc.

An Innovation Council populated by workgroup chairs will explore new opportunities to do better work, leverage resources and funding, and lay a stronger foundation for future WFD success.

At all levels, comprehensive support based on regionally relevant data will keep LARC participants abreast of economic and community realities.

Further, in addition to its focus on LA County’s immense industrial complex, the LARC will also lay a foundation for career education in the five emerging ‘economies’ that blossomed through the pandemic and will continue to blossom as it evolves:

automation,

infrastructure readiness,

remote access,

environmental opportunities, and

logistics.

The work done within these economies overlays many, if not most, current and future occupations and will take on more significance as industries evolve.

 

LARC’s Fundamental Principles

Having an articulated slate of principles, expectations, and procedures helps to keep all participants organized around a common strategy:

 

Principles Guiding Inputs …

Outcomes for students, the schools, the community, and the economy are more likely to be beneficial and successful when achieved through activities that are:

advocacy driven,

equity-minded,

consistent across the platform,

undertaken with demonstrated transparency,

pursued through collaborative practices, and

executed within a culture of trust.

…and Outputs

Additionally, anticipated outputs (as opposed to outcomes) must also achieve a standard of quality for every project to succeed. Participants must assure their (and their project’s) efforts are based on or provide:

a high degree of accountability,

a high standard of performance,

increased access by learners to appropriate

services and support,

the removal of barriers and

a clear demonstration of their full compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.

 

The overarching goals of these principles are to:

increase the effectiveness of the entity as a whole

improve the coordination of resources across the county

improve clarity among members regarding activities, inputs, outputs, and outcomes,

improve communications across the entity and its collegiate membership, and

provide greater visibility by the State into the consumption of its resources and the values that are produced as a result.

This comprehensive level of performance expectations sets a high bar for all LARC participants and lays a foundation for excellent work in the future.

 

LARC’s Industrial Community

Adding to the complexity of LARC’s and Makijan’s mission is the complexity of LA’s industrial complex:

The County is the largest in the nation, with a population of over 10 million people.

Eighty-eight individual cities lie within its borders.

It is home to almost a quarter-million businesses (244,000) that do business in

Over a dozen major industries, each of which includes an additional constellation of smaller sub-industries and supply chains.

Makijan and her LARC cohorts will be working closely with leaders in all these industries to encourage the cooperation and collaboration needed to general a well-employed laborforce.

Further, in preparation for its work, the LARC also commissioned an analysis of the County’s labor market needs and a list of the jobs that are or will be in top demand over the coming decade. The LARC will use these and emerging data to direct its WFD efforts to ensure the County’s CC students are trained and then employed in these jobs of the future.

 

Moving Ahead

As she gets started, Dr. Makijan is initially working through the transition from the LAOCRC to the LARC to ensure LARC documentation and procedures are in place as quickly as possible. She’s also getting to know her new LARC colleagues at schools across the County while settling into her role as an AVP at PCC. And she’s carefully building the team that will work with her to assure that the LARC meets the standards set out by its principles and guidelines.

Looking forward, Makijan says she “wants to be intentional about student outcomes, so I’ll use that as my guidepost. I also want my office to bridge the gap between education and industry, so I’ll look for barriers to those relationships.” Not least, in her role as a resource coordinator, Makijan’s ultimate goal is to keep schools on track with the LARC’s initiatives so that student outcomes improve. As big as this job is, it allows her to continue pursuing the goal she’s been following her entire career.

 

PCC’s Leader in Chief: Dr. Erika Endrijonas

Pam Sornson, JD on May 1, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

May 3, 2022

The recent emergence of the Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC) isn’t just a happy accident. In fact, it’s the result of a dedicated strategy to unify Los Angeles County’s 19 community colleges into a cohesive and comprehensive workforce development engine capable of producing the skilled workforce demanded by the County’s more than 240,000 businesses. Leading the strategy was/is Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Pasadena City College’s (PCC) Superintendent/President since January 2019. Her efforts were instrumental in birthing the LARC as a stand-alone agency, and will continue to be influential as PCC assumes the role of its fiscal agent. But, for Dr. Endrijonas, getting the LARC started is just one element of a much larger project.

 

Long Roots in Workforce Development

Dr. Endrijonas has been involved in workforce development programs for more than 20 years, starting with nine years as Dean of Educational Programs at Santa Barbara Community College (SBCC) in 2000. There, she was responsible for the 28 career and technical programs spread across three academic divisions. In addition, she wrote grants, built support programs and services, and managed the federal funding that facilitated education for many of the school’s underserved student populations. The experience generated her drive to improve student outcomes through quality workforce training, an impetus that subsequently propelled her through her tenure as Executive Vice President at Oxnard College (2009-2014) and President of Los Angeles Valley Community College (LAVC: 2014-2019).

As she began her work at LAVC, she also joined The Valley Economic Alliance and started developing relationships with local and regional businesses. As those partnerships progressed, Endrijonas continued to support holding regular Advisory Committee meetings with companies and industry representatives to ensure that the school’s curricula were meeting their needs. As a result, PCC’s Career Technical Education programs provide an education directly related to occupational requirements.

Over the years, her sharp focus on job and career development also opened her eyes to another reality: some students need more than just job training to succeed. Endrijonas built programs to respond to those needs, too:

She originated PCC’s Family Resource Center, modeled after the first ever Family Resource Center at LAVC, which provides the unique support and services needed by students who are also parents, such as playgroups, parenting resources, and child-friendly tutoring spaces.

She also launched the LAVC’s Strengthening Working Families Project, which directs its efforts at enhancing job and workforce training opportunities for working parents, particularly working mothers. In addition, this program recognizes the social and cultural challenges faced by many marginalized populations, so it offers mental health counseling in addition to job training to assist its students in transitioning into employment.

As she worked through these tenures, Dr. Endrijonas was honing her perspective of what a genuinely effective ‘workforce development program’ looked like and needed. And she was developing the complex skillset necessary to build one that connected all available resources – business, industry, education, and government – into a single, well-tooled ‘jobs and careers development’ hub. In 2019, an opportunity opened that facilitated her next step toward that goal: she accepted the position of Superintendent/President of PCC.

 

Long-term Strategy

By 2019, PCC was already two years into laying the foundation of its Economic and Workforce Development division (EWD). It had four pillars in place and was working on its fifth:

Its Small Business Development Center (SBDC);

Its PCC Extension services offer job, career, and life skills training to employed and wanna-be-employed students of all ages;

Its workforce training initiative developed coursework and training opportunities for the workforces of local businesses, and

Its newly emerging Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion aimed to be a nexus where employers and their future employees could meet.

Within that Center, the Work-Based Learning initiative was innovating new hands-on learning opportunities.

Endrijonas saw the expanding PCC EWD division as an excellent foundation on which to build her near-, mid-, and long-range workforce development strategies. Joining PCC also streamlined the scope of the work she intended to do. LAVC is one of nine community colleges within the LA Community College District. Consequently, launching new initiatives and endeavors was as much an effort of administrative heavy-lifting as it was an educational progress. PCC, on the other hand, is its own singular community college ‘district,’ so, administratively, getting things done wouldn’t require as much time or effort.

Since she began her role as its leader, she and her PCC colleagues have focused on furthering existing resources while devising innovative new responses to the workforce development challenge.

 

Pursuing the LARC

When Endrijonas joined PCC in 2019, the school was one of 28 community colleges in the combined Los Angeles Orange County Regional Consortium (LAOCRC), established in 2015. While initially thought to be an excellent arrangement, after several years, the many voices, perspectives, and goals of the members of the LAOCRC inhibited the development of a cohesive workforce development strategy across both counties.

When the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) issued a grant opportunity in 2021 to fund significant workforce development within each CCC region, Endrijonas and her CEO colleague from Compton College, Dr. Keith Curry, saw that as the opportunity to sever the LA/OCRC into its two respective counties and allow each to proceed forward as an independent region. The LARC launched as a separate entity on January 1, 2022.

The emerging opportunity of the LARC simply broadens Endrijonas’s scope of PCC’s workforce development operations as its EWD’s 6th pillar. Before its launch, each regional school pursued its own individual path toward EWD programming, and there wasn’t much collaboration among them. Now, within the LARC, all schools will collaborate on building a county-wide workforce development resource that responds directly to county residents’ needs.

Employers will influence the nature of coursework to ensure PCC graduates have the necessary skills for employment.

Students will have the job, social, and personal resources they need to select and pursue a well-paid occupation that best suits their talents.

And all participants will be facilitating the State’s grand idea of harnessing its community colleges to build its workforce and its economy in the decades to come.

As the leader of both PCC and the LARC, Dr. Erika Endrijonas has some big projects on her hands. Fortunately, she also has the tools, skillset, and experience to do the work.

 

Non-Credit Leadership: Dr. Francisco Suarez

Pam Sornson, JD on April 13, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

April 19, 2022

There were many reasons why Dr. Francisco Suarez took the job as Dean of Non-credit and Adult Education (NCE) at Pasadena City College (PCC). Not the least important is its significant program advances in response to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the technology-based economies that are emerging in its wake. He also liked the program’s relative size (not too big; not too small) and the school’s pervasive inclusive culture. And he’s very invested in assisting those PCC students who need his help the most; helping new learners to find better jobs with new skills has been his passion for years.

 

New Year, New Start

Starting his new role in January of 2021, Dr. Suarez was facing two immediate challenges: exploring how PCC’s existing NCE supported its most vulnerable students, those who are faced with language, physical, educational, and other barriers, and addressing low enrollment numbers (across the school as well as in his department).

Exploring the NCE Curricula

“The NCE is often the ‘port of entry’ into college for many PCC students,” he says, “many of whom now need to learn new skills to find new work.” PCC’s NCE provides foundational ’employment skills’ training to help these new learners get their ‘workplace readiness‘ feet under them. Courses include ‘English-as-a-second-language’ (ESL) skills, vocational ESL skills specifically for learners to use on the job, Adult Basic Education (ABE), and high school equivalency classes (through a GED program or an Adult High School Diploma program). 

He’s impressed by how the department understands the high pressure placed on its student body and how it has made accommodations to ease some of that burden. The NCE’s health program, for example, includes courses that are also requirements for credited coursework, but students taking those classes through the NCE department don’t pay tuition. As a result, NCE learners can attain those credits and apply them to further, relevant training without eroding their financial aid opportunities.    

Looking at the Numbers

Like all other California Community Colleges (CCC), Pasadena is also experienced reduced enrollment numbers in its 2021-2022 academic year. The two-year-old COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant contributor to the decline. All CCC schools lost students when campuses were closed and learning was transitioned to an all-online format. However, since those campuses reopened in Fall 2021, the numbers are still depressed, being down by 7% compared to 2020 and 20% compared to 2019. 

At PCC, Suarez has been busy at work on projects designed to attract more NCE students to his programs.

This past winter, he hosted a series of virtual information sessions that were accessible online, which have netted approximately 100 new registrations in the past few weeks. 

He’s also convened a ‘marketing taskforce’ populated by other campus leaders to develop materials that can showcase specific programs in three minutes or less. 

And he’s using new and traditional distribution methods to get the word out:

existing PCC social media channels can share all his information with their respective subscribers and followers, and

he distributed paper fliers to senior homes, libraries, schools, etc., all with QR codes that provide even more information through that digital portal.    

Coming up, he has a Latinx Research Fair in the works. For it, he’s ordered a variety of ‘swag’ materials, is looking to hire a marketing company for the project, and is creating a tri-lingual flier that speaks in the school’s three most prevalent languages, English, Spanish, and Mandarin. 

Suarez designed these projects with the intention of building the NCE population back to 3,000 from its current 1,000 registrants. 

 

Looking Forward 

In addition to these two major endeavors, Suarez has also been working on projects designed to offer his learners enhanced occupational and job training opportunities. In collaboration with Dr. Arminé Derdiarian, the Dean of PCC’s Career and Technical Education department, Suarez plans to build his NCE programs into ‘career pathways’ for the CTE curricula. He is looking at jobs and careers data of the future and using that information to lay tomorrow’s NCE foundation.  

For example, PCC’s CTE division currently has two Electric Vehicle projects in the works, developing programs to both train EV maintenance techs and install and maintain the EV charging stations those vehicles will require. Suarez sees the programs as opportunities for NCE learners to set future job goals. Ongoing conversations between the CTE department, industry leaders, and Pasadena City Government are informing him about the foundational requirements those new jobs will need, and he’s developing those protocols already for use in his NCE department. “It takes about a year to get new curricula approved,” he says, and he’s not wasting any time getting started.

He’s also looked at the construction job opening predictions over the course of the next decade. Data suggests the number of those career opportunities will grow by up to 7% over the next eight years, and Suarez is working to partner with new companies and develop new programs so his students can fill those demands.     

 

Support Where They Need It

Suarez believes he can succeed with these initiatives because of the extensive support services PCC offers all its students, especially those engaged in NCE courses. “They often need more support than traditional students,” he says, and PCC’s systems are set up to help all its learners with the precisely right support that they need. In addition, he sees its diversity at all levels as being very impressive and a factor that will make it easier for his sometimes shy and inexperienced constituents to approach the school. “The faculty has its heart in the right place and really understands the needs of these students.” It’s evident to him that they love their work and love helping their learners.

Judging by his ongoing efforts and enthusiasm to hit the ground running in his new role as Dean of Non-Credit and Adult Education, it’s clear that Dr. Francisco Suarez has his heart in the right place, too.   

     

Dr. Arminé Derdiarian, PCC’s New Dean of CTE

Pam Sornson, JD on April 13, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

April 19, 2022

Pasadena City College’s (PCC) Career and Technical Education Division (CTE) is just one of the six economic development pillars in the school’s Economic and Workforce Development Division (EWD). The CTE pillar has a new Dean, Dr. Arminé Derdiarian, who is now responsible for coordinating CTE efforts across the campus. She will play a critical role in PCC’s strategy to move its CTE resources into the forefront of the workforce development arena. 

In this conversation, Dr. Derdiarian discusses her history with CTE initiatives, the CTE assets already in place at PCC, and her strategy for ensuring that her department, PCC, and PCC’s students are leading the way in California’s higher ed’s economic and workforce development sector.        

 

Leading with Professional Standards

As a licensed dentist, Dr. Derdiarian has worked with CTE graduates throughout her medical career. She began teaching those skills at Oxnard Community College (OCC) in 1998 as adjunct faculty offering dental hygiene courses. OCC promoted her to Director of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assistants programs in 2015. So when PCC’s CTE Dean position opened in early 2020, she jumped at the opportunity to bring her skills to a new facility.

It’s not that she wasn’t happy at OCC. That school, however, is one of three community colleges in the Ventura County Community College District, and any innovation she wanted to develop faced additional administrative hurdles in that configuration. PCC is its own ‘district,’ consisting of just the one school, and Derdiarian is excited to work within PCC’s more streamlined system.  

She was also determined to ensure that CTE programs and students aren’t relegated to ‘second class’ status behind students seeking four-year degrees. She brings all those thought processes and plans to PCC at a remarkable time in the school’s history. 

 

Taking Stock – Finding Focus  

Dr. Derdiarian was happy that PCC re-instituted the Dean position to coordinate the efforts of all PCC CTE programs and is honored to be first in that Chair. Under a single director, the CTE division can begin collaborating as a unit on the best use of division resources, establish school-wide standards of practice, and find a better balance of funding across programs.  

Beginning the job in August 2021, Derdiarian’s initial reaction to her new Dean role was ‘overwhelm.’ PCC’s CTE programs encompass 86 certifications in several disciplines (listed on pages 109 through 117 in the school’s catalog), only two of which are dentistry related. Spread across the campus and the school’s many academic departments, these programs offer real-world training for real-world jobs. Derdiarian simply wasn’t experienced in most of the disciplines, such as bio/nanotechnology studies, automotives, or hospitality.

However, the more she learned, the more impressed she was by what she found. “The school has amazing programs and instructors, each bringing unbelievable talent and vision to their work,” she says. In addition, the existing collaboration among current program Directors and Deans is setting a solid foundation for her vision for the school’s future as a whole.

Perhaps most notably, she is impressed with the work being done to bring today’s CTE courses in line with today’s labor and industry demands:

The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management department has revised its curricula, adding four additional certifications specifically because recent reports issued by the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership indicate that those jobs will be in very high demand in the very near future. 

The Computer Information Systems department also recently developed four new certifications addressing technology training for cybersecurity purposes.  

In the Bio and Nano Technologies Division, a 2020 $7.5M grant facilitates research and development to advance micro-nano education to train workers of the future, strategic outreach to traditional and underrepresented students, and build an industry/education partnership designed to support student and business success. 

The department is also working with a San Diego company to develop 3D circuit boards made of ‘green’ resources. If the project is successful, PCC would be the first community college to participate in such a significant innovation. 

These innovative industry/education projects indicate just how far along PCC is in its evolution as a workforce development engine. Dr. Derdiarian is excited to add her insights to those and future similar projects.  

 

Looking Forward

She’s bringing her own projects to campus, too. Using data developed by the regional Center of Excellence, she is looking to connect other CTE programs to emerging needs. 

The San Diego project excites her because of its focus on ‘green’ initiatives. The faculty at PCC is talking about ‘sustainability’ as an emerging aspect in each of their disciplines and is looking for ways to incorporate those principles and practices into their teaching materials. 

She’s also focused on Electic Vehicle (EV) technology. She recently enticed Honda/Accura dealers to sponsor elements of PCC’s auto technologies program. Honda will develop the curricula and training materials for PCC students, who will graduate with skills beyond those of entry-level jobs. 

She’s also in discussions with Honda and the City of Pasadena to develop an EV Charger technology program. As electric cars become more prevalent, more changing stations will need installation, repairs, and management. If the concept comes to fruition, the triad partnership of industry, education, and government will provide resources and assets to participants in all three areas, as well as to the community at large.

In her new role, Dr. Derdiarian is also now in charge of Perkins V Grant funds and developing existing and new resources with those funds to further student career education. She’s convening a committee populated by PCC CTE Deans and Department Chairs to get deeper insights into what the school can and should do with those financial resources.      

Not least, Dr. Derdiarian is also excited to be working with other members of the newly devised Los Angeles Regional Consortium, of which PCC is the coordinator. The collaborations already underway are exciting, and she finds the visionary perspective of those community college leaders is refreshing.

PCC’s new Dean of Career and Technical Education is clearly off to a great start. The future of CTE studies at the school looks very bright under the guidance of Dr. Arminé Derdiarian.  

PCC’s CTE: Jobs. Occupations. Careers.

Pam Sornson, JD on March 28, 2022

California’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs provide clearly marked pathways to well-paying jobs and careers. Unfortunately, that reality is often lost in the messaging around higher education in general, which still (erroneously) emphasizes a four-year university degree as every college student’s ultimate goal. Pasadena City College (PCC) offers its students a wide variety of CTE courses and programs that can guide them through to the occupation and lifestyle of their choice. They just need to know what their options are.

 

CTE is Critical to California’s Success

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed two significant factors: the State’s reliance on its middle-skilled workers and its economic challenges when there aren’t enough of those to fill all of its open job positions. Current State investments and initiatives are addressing those challenges. In his 2022-2023 budget proposal, Governor Gavin Newsom set a goal of 70% certificate and degree attainment for all working-age students by 2030, and two-thirds of those graduates will be community college students. The State also recently invested in its eight regional community college consortia groups (the Los Angeles County Regional Consortium [LARC] is one), expecting that those collaborations will result in a more robust workforce to repair the State’s economy. His strategy to achieve that repair is investing significant state funding into community college and CTE success.

 

California’s CTE Program is Critical to Student Success

The State has organized its CTE training programs to encompass 15 industry sectors with 58 specified career pathways, most of which straddle both its high school and community college curricula. This collaboration between government, education, and industry is foundational to the State’s economic and industrial growth and policy development strategies.

Data suggest that early and sustained focus on CTE goals is successful on many levels:

‘High-risk’ CTE students, those who face added barriers in their personal lives, are eight to ten times less likely to drop out of their junior or senior years than those who don’t enroll in CTE options.

Eighty percent of high school CTE students met their college and career readiness goals, versus 63% of those who only pursued college prep programs.

Those learners who blended their career and academic education in high school are also more likely to pursue post-secondary education, earn a higher college GPA, and persist through to a certificate or degree.

Most importantly, more than one-quarter (27%) of community college CTE degree or certificate holders earn more than an average four-year degree recipient.

California is betting its future on the success of its CTE programs and the success of those graduates.

 

PCC’s Constellation of CTE Excellence

PCC provides 86 associate degrees and certification programs embedded within its six Career Communities: Business & Industry, STEM studies, Health Science and Wellness, Liberal Arts, Social and Behavioral Science, and Arts and Communications. This array of occupationally focused training programs provides skills, experience, and insights into jobs and careers that pay well and will be in demand for years to come. 

Study areas straddle both industry and ‘economy’ occupations, offering skills training focused directly on industry standards and courses on careers that apply in almost every business regardless of its industry. 

Certificates of Achievements

These foundational training courses provide the instruction needed to enter an occupation right out of school or, when combined with General Education credits, form the basis of an Associate Degree. Program subject matters straddle industries with high demand for qualified workers; a shortlist includes:

Automotive Technology,

Biology, including lab skills,

Business Administration,

Child Development,

Electrical Technology

Languages,

Medical Assisting,

Nursing,

Paralegal Studies,

Television and Radio Technologies, and more.

Students pursuing these accreditations are likely to find well-paying jobs and careers in the future. 

Occupational Skills Certificates

These certifications aim their training at specific jobs and work skills. Their instruction prepares learners with both employability and workplace skills for the occupation of their choice, which also lays the groundwork for future work within the same field. 

Examples of Occupational Skills Certificates offered at PCC include:

Archeological Field Work,

Automotive Specialties, including Heating and Air Conditioning Technician, 

Certified Nursing Assistant,

Commercial Music, which encompasses music recording and production skills, 

Digitation Skills for Libraries and Cultural Heritage Institutions, which teaches digital and collection techniques for use in current facilities or archives,

Graphic Communications,

Interior Design, Industrial Design, 

Photography,

Television and Radio, including broadcast journalism, television production, and video operations.    

Notably, many of these programs are and will be increasingly technology-driven, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic passes. Automation, the Internet of Things (IOT), Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data Analytics are generating changes in almost all areas of industry and economics. As a result, tomorrow’s workforce will need to be ready to adapt existing skills to meet these emerging skill demands. By doing so, they will not only harness a job and career that will provide them with a comfortable life, but they will also be feeding California’s economic and industrial engines to provide a better and higher standard of living for all residents of the State.     

 

California is clearly invested in leveraging the wealth of knowledge and experience contained in its community college system to build its economy. Those colleges and the communities in which they live are equally invested in providing an education for their students that sustains a productive and financially stable life. PCC is invested in offering its constituents the highest-quality CTE training available and whatever support they might need to succeed.

 

 

 

 

Non-Credit Education Programs Reduce Barriers and Open Doors

Pam Sornson, JD on March 28, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

April 19, 2022

As burdensome as these past two+ years have been, there are some advantages arising out of the turmoil caused by the COVID pandemic. Two hundred years of industrial workplace norms have been upended, and emerging industries and economies are promising jobs and careers that weren’t even in existence in 2019. At the same time, the coronavirus put many people out of work, and now as it recedes, they’re looking to restart their working life in a new occupation. For many, the courses and programs offered through Pasadena City College’s Non-Credit Division (PCC NCD) provide the skills and abilities they’ll need to find work in the new post-COVID economy.

 

Complete, Continue, Commence

PCCs NCD brings together a broad scope of training opportunities that facilitate the educational goals of all of its diverse population of students. Its programs provide occupational skills that translate to well-paying jobs in any number of businesses or industries. It also offers courses that teach critical life and social skills that many people haven’t yet gained due to adverse life, cultural, or educational challenges.

 

Complete

These days, many people are looking for a new and well-paying job because the coronavirus either terminated their last one or they didn’t have the skills needed to return to it. The NCD offers occupationally specific training to help any student gain the fundamental skills they need to work in their chosen occupation:

Business Office Systems courses provide foundational training for a variety of office-based occupations, including basic bookkeeping, business math, filing and record-keeping, and basic business software skills (keyboarding in English and Spanish and computer skills).

The artistically inclined will learn much in the Basic Graphic Design course, which includes instruction on graphic production.

Office administrators are always in demand, and the NCD offers courses for both generic Office Clerks and Medical Front Office Clerk.

There is a high demand for document translators, especially in the Legal and Medical fields. Students in these courses also have pathways into other health or legal occupations.

Emerging data suggest that non-credit education programs provide the foundational learning needed in fields that are growing or are already in high demand. These courses facilitate a starting point for learners looking to start their career, rebuild after COVID, or enhance their current lifestyle with a better job.

 

Continue

Many learners already have the above-listed skills or assets but have other concerns that hamper their education. PCC’s NCD offers programs directed at meeting their needs, too.

America is home to millions of immigrants, many of whom elect to go through the naturalization process to become U.S. citizens. PCC’s Immigrant Education program prepares them for the process by teaching about the country’s history, geography, and civics systems.

Learners with physical, mental, or other challenges will find informative courses in PCC’s Adults with Disabilities program. This multifaceted program offers information and insights to enhance a variety of life circumstances, including functional living skills, music appreciation, and adaptive arts for developmentally handicapped or disabled adults.

Moms and dads also get some much-needed information and support from the Parent Education program. Children don’t come with owner’s manuals; this program offers essential information about how to nurture a developing child.

As a specific category of ‘learner,’ older learners aren’t ignored, either. Many people approaching their senior years seek out new hobbies and skills to enhance their enjoyment of life. The Older Adult program helps them find fun ways to spend their newly free time by offering sewing and music appreciation classes and a ‘Life Review’ class that encourages story-telling and journaling about the paths one has walked through the course of their life.

 

Commence

It’s never too late to begin any educational program. Many learners who start on these foundational educational paths often gain not just these skills but also the confidence to pursue other life-long dreams as well:

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program provides the foundational math and language courses needed to attain a high school diploma or, as an alternative to that, a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Once those are complete, learners can move on to achieve …

… an Adult High School Diploma (AHSD). This program offers all the courses needed to attain a high school education, including classes in math, English, history, sciences, and humanities. Electives provide color and depth to the learning and include creative writing, digital art and design, and ecology options.

Alternatively, the GED program prepares students to take – and pass – the GED exam. Students who take these courses are already familiar with the subject matters – they simply want the added credential of a high school diploma for their resume or job application.

For those whose first language isn’t English, the NCD also offers several series of ESLN classes – English as a Second Language – Non-Credit. One series is a foundational set of courses designed to meet the needs of anyone who needs help reading, writing, or speaking English. Another series, Vocational ESL, provides language training for specific occupations, including one for Childcare providers and another for health care workers. Classes that teach English for general ‘Work Readiness & Communication Skills‘ are designed for people looking to find new or different work.

Workplace readiness is more than just knowing the language. These courses provide training for succeeding in the work world and include the job and career skills that are used every day in every business. Additionally, the program offers specialized training for jobs requiring contextualized English or Math skills, so learners graduate with the skills they need to attain or retain their desired position.

 

Non-credit doesn’t mean ‘non-valuable.’ As the pandemic recedes and people look to find new opportunities, today’s non-credit programs can provide the fundamental building blocks of both a better education and a better life.

 

On the Cusp: A New Horizon for Community Colleges

Pam Sornson, JD on March 9, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

March 15, 2o22

The COVID pandemic appears to be receding as case numbers and hospitalizations drop and mask restrictions are lifted. Many people might pause, however, in the face of those realities, to consider which option will be best for them in their own personal circumstances: to mask or not to mask. The coronavirus has up-ended so many elements of daily life that its impending absence leaves people a bit perplexed about what to expect next and what a ‘new normal’ might entail.

California’s community college sector is experiencing a similar pause. The two years of the pandemic drastically changed traditional ‘college’ processes, and many of those changes appear to be permanent, even when fully open campuses offer a return to ‘business as usual.’ Some experts have assessed not only how colleges pivoted in the past but also how those pivots are informing future decisions. In their opinion, economic and community changes will significantly impact the future of higher education and permanently alter what most people have come to expect.

 

Economy-Driven Changes

COVID-19 ushered in the era of ‘all-digital all the time,’ and it appears that there’s no turning back from that transformation. As the pivot erased thousands of jobs, the demand for newly valued digital services exploded, creating occupations for which there were few well-trained workers available. At the same time, social and environmental realities became substantial enough to command significant resource investments, even though there weren’t enough workers or resources available to meet those emerging needs. The consequence is a gaping vacuum of unfilled job openings in newly needed occupations and a clamoring of both learners and their potential employers for educational pathways into those emerging careers.

These are the conclusions of Burning Glass Technologies (BGT), whose 2021 “After the Storm” report envisions emerging employment opportunities arising from five newly recognized economies (as opposed to old-style industries). These economies span all commercial sectors and demand a different skillset and knowledge base from the traditional occupations that evolved the workforce from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution:

The automated economy, which relies on technology to perform thousands of tasks previously performed by humans. Computing systems programmed with artificial intelligence and machine learning now manage business details in a fraction of the time, with more accuracy and better results than humans can achieve. This trend will continue to grow.

The green economy, which is driven by climate change and its related concerns and promises cleaner, safer methods of generating goods and services that don’t also erode the physical environment.

The logistics economy, which is evolving from the collapse of global supply chains when the virus and its fallout shut down international borders and transportation systems.

The readiness economy, which will evolve to fill in the support gaps and holes revealed when healthcare, security, banking, and other industries were closed by COVID. Then-existing systems weren’t capable of responding to consumer demand when traditional infrastructures failed.

The remote economy, which facilitated an exodus out of the traditional office and workspace to home-based locations and allowed entire organizations to exist entirely in the cyber realm.

According to BGT, companies that don’t invest in the technological and physical infrastructure in which these economies exist will risk losing their market share, if not closure altogether.

 

Community-Driven Changes

Other experts have been eying these and other trends to determine how those will impact the nation’s higher education systems. For example, the experts at Inside Higher Ed (IHE), an industry think-tank, have examined how society has changed in the past two years. They, too, have examined the factors that are influencing how the higher education sector will transform itself in the coming years.

Firstly, a wide variety of new higher ed options have popped up online, offering low-cost degrees or certified diplomas and aimed at populations not typically seen on the traditional college campus. Providers include museums, libraries, and even well-known companies that all bring the credibility of their core competency to their educational courses.

Secondly, new styles of ‘college’ are also emerging, focusing on programs that address the needs of the global, digital, and knowledge economies. These schools are branching off the mainstream college design, just as the teaching universities (John’s Hopkins, as an example) changed their perspective during the Industrial Age.

Thirdly, colleges that are suffering from lost enrollments and course closures are transforming themselves around those programs that still provide value and using the COVID pandemic as an impetus to build back their presence in its new configuration.

 

Further, the IHE surmises how these three phenomena will drive five new realities in the higher ed sector for years to come:

New providers of content and delivery will compete directly with traditional colleges and universities. These providers will offer valuable training options through digital portals as an alternative to ‘time- and place-based education’ delivery systems. Their certifications will provide the credibility employers want to see.

Higher ed consumers will gain more power over their educational options. Rather than have schools determine what and how they’re going to teach, students and the businesses that want to hire them will demand courses that meet their respective needs, and colleges will commit to providing those services.

Higher ed consumers will also demand an ‘unbundling’ of college courses and services to make them more affordable and to better accommodate the learner’s specific opportunities.

The higher ed system will switch from tracking incremental education ‘outputs’ to tracking student ‘outcomes’ in terms of employment and compensation. The newly emerging ‘knowledge’ economy (which transcends each of BGT’s five economies) won’t measure success by the number of graduates but by the number of employed graduates. The eventual employment outcome of each student will become the fundamental indicator of collegiate success.

The system will also stop prioritizing four-year degrees over ‘just-in-time’ certifications as the epitome of educational success, at least in certain subjects. The speed at which systems are changing, coupled with advances in technologies, suggests that, in many cases, four years is simply too long a time to complete an education that remains relevant upon graduation. Further, the educational programs that provide the specific, occupationally focused training needed in so many industries will attain a higher status and more prestige, as their graduates bring cutting-edge solutions to cutting edge problems.

 

The insights gleaned from these evolutions compel all colleges to rethink their approach to and standards of performance if they intend to remain competitive and viable as the new post-COVID era emerges.

Logic Models Measure Educational Success

Pam Sornson, JD on March 9, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

March 15, 2o22

College success doesn’t always equate to career success. However, the drive to improve both college and career success metrics is taking on significantly more meaning as emerging economic realities look to higher education institutions to match evolving workforce talent with growing workforce demand. Understanding how the two connect – college success and career success – requires an understanding of the elements of each and how they interact with each other. Traditional logic models provide a framework to use for that evaluation and process.

 

 

Higher Education Evolves

The evolution of America’s higher education systems began in the late 19th Century, as religious orders developed more organized ‘colleges of higher learning’ that surpassed the efforts of trade-based apprenticeships offering ad hoc job training skills. Middle and lower-class people typically pursued work-related apprenticeships because they couldn’t afford the advanced ‘university’ training costs. That more formal training focused on more theoretical scientific studies and was made available only to those white males who could afford it.

In neither case did employers or educators devise a strategy to measure the ‘success’ of either educational option. Neither system tracked the outcome for the student after the education process was complete. When student statistics were measured at all, they focused on the educational system’s success – the number of apprentices who completed their training or the number of graduates who completed their programs, as examples.

It’s only recently that systemic and social leaders began recognizing the value of measuring how well educational efforts resulted in successful jobs and careers for students and, by extension, economic success for the businesses that hired them. Those ‘education to career success’ metrics are now the focus of companies and industries with a vested interest in the educational processes that develop their current and future workforce. Measuring and sharing those metrics will help all invested participants in the higher education spectrum improve their contribution to it:

Schools will use the data to develop training programs that are relevant to potential employers.

Businesses will use the data to direct training efforts to reflect their particular needs while also building their enterprise with the support of a well-trained labor force.

Governments will use the data to track how their higher education investments contribute to the economic growth of the community.

Taking those measurements, however, raises questions also relevant to all participants:

What should be measured and why?

Who should guide and/or implement the measurement process?

How should the resulting metrics be reported?

How should the resulting metrics be used?

It seems a standardized College/Career success measurement protocol would be helpful, as organizations dedicate more time, attention, and money connecting educational programming to economic success.

 

 

Measuring Quality Using Standardized Logic Models

The COVID pandemic only exacerbated the already existing mismatch between current skills development programming and emerging laborforce demands. As that anomaly recedes, it is becoming more critical to account for and measure the elements that build and determine the success of efforts on both sides of the concern. Standardized ‘logic models’ provide a framework that structures the actions of and connects the two. Using these familiar tools will help all concerned participants better understand how their respective efforts can combine into a successful student/employee/career.

 

Logic Model Components

Many industries use logic models to identify the necessary elements that will make up their successful projects. While each individual element differs based on the organization and anticipated effort, the model itself segregates those efforts into classes that flow from a listing of resources through a record of related activities and to the final result, which, in this case, would be a well-trained, well-compensated worker.

Inputs

Every successful endeavor starts with an accumulation of ‘inputs,’ including the financing, staff, and organizational resources needed to launch and complete the project. To build a successful employee and economic contributor:

Governments will ‘input’ the resources needed to ensure schools have the necessary tools to furnish relevant educational programming.

Schools will ‘input’ the coursework and programming that students need to pursue the career of their choice.

Employers will ‘input’ their occupational requirements to ensure the student’s training is relevant to their needs.

Activities

The inputs provide the structure and support for ‘activities.’ Activities are actions that are relevant to processes and goals that offer the incremental knowledge, practice, and experience that will eventually meld into the fuller expression of the occupation.

Activities at school include coursework, internships, and basic career development skills, among many others.

Activities by businesses include collaborations with faculty to develop appropriate training and classwork materials.

Activities by governments include securing adequate funding, assisting with industry development, and facilitating other economic growth opportunities.

Outputs

Many confuse ‘outputs’ with ‘outcomes.’ The concepts are different, however. ‘Outputs’ relates to the incremental steps forward toward ‘outcomes,’ so there are many outputs throughout the process that contribute to the eventual outcome.

At the school, student ‘outputs’ include completing first and second-year level coursework, completing internships, developing resume’s, etc.

For businesses, outputs include contributions to training materials and participation in job fairs, as examples.

For governments, outputs include funding programming, gathering and sharing relevant industry data, and communicating expectations to constituents based on project metrics.

Outcomes

An ‘outcome’ is the culmination of the combined inputs, activities, and outputs. In this case, ‘outcomes’ will mean different things to the various entities:

For schools, successful outcomes will be graduated students who find well-compensated work in their chosen occupation. Tracking ‘student outcomes’ will no longer simply track the number of graduates or how long it took learners to complete their programs.

For businesses, a successful outcome could mean

ongoing access to a well-developed yet flexible program that trains to their workforce needs,

a steady supply of well-trained workers, and

even an upskilled workforce of existing employees who now have more relevant and valuable skills.

For governments, positive ‘outcomes’ could mean more workers/tax payors, fewer people drawing from social programs, more businesses opening because of the strong labor force focus, and enhanced government revenues flowing from a more robust economy.

 

More organizations are looking for proof that their college-educated potential new hires have the skills and abilities they need to do their work. Every organization involved in the workforce development sector should consider how their enterprise can offer those assurances. Collaborations that intend to improve student career outcomes will be better able to plan, implement, and find success if they streamline the individual efforts of each participant through a logic model framework to collectively pursue the ultimate goal of a well-trained workforce.

 

A New Expression: Non-Credit Programming

Pam Sornson, JD on February 24, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

March 1, 2022

Yet another evolution is emerging as the economy recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Long regarded as the lesser valued educational track, non-credit programs are now taking on more importance as people seek out new skill sets to help them find and hold gainful new employment. Community colleges are responding to this demand by rethinking their current non-credit opportunities and retooling them to accommodate the evolving training options requested by both students and area employers. 

 

Changing by Imperative

Non-credit teaching programs have responded to varying needs over the decades, initially arising as ‘job training’ options and later evolving into ‘life enhancement’ opportunities. In both cases, their structure and presentation differed from that of the more formal four-year universities, so they’ve always drawn from a different population. 

The COVID pandemic, however, revealed the challenges that that particular population faced in its quest to earn a living, as its members typically found work in jobs that offered low wages, no benefits, and almost no employment stability. When the coronavirus eliminated those positions, many workers were left with no employment options at all.

At the same time, employers were desperate to build a well-trained workforce to meet the emerging demands generated by the COVID-afflicted economy. In some cases, their entire enterprise required a rebuild, as technology rendered obsolete what had been their ‘normal course of business.’ In other cases, new occupations and skill sets were needed to keep up with the competition as on-site employees became remote workers and consumers were compelled to change their purchasing habits and choices. In most cases, the pandemic radically changed the ‘nature of work’ from traditional standards to new and continuously evolving practices requiring novel skills and capacities. Accordingly, it’s becoming increasingly clear that ‘traditional’ educational programs aren’t designed to meet the needs of the emerging economy or the industries building it.       

It’s also clear that other societal concerns need attention. Research indicates that shorter-term non-credit courses were attended more frequently by people of color and those of ethnic and other ‘differing’ minorities, often because those populations lacked access to the stringent educational requirements of the four-year university system. The implicit ‘white bias’ in higher education systems has widened economic and social gaps and left millions of people without viable access to programs that lead to higher-earning careers. The lack of further educational progress that is the consequence of a non-credit education perpetuates these gaps.   

 

Furnishing the Future Workforce

Today’s community colleges are taking up these challenges to both drive economic growth and alleviate long-standing racial disparities. In many schools, educational leaders are reconsidering what they need to provide through their non-credit offerings, recognizing that both their students and their future employers need resources and results as quickly as possible.  

What students need 

According to a 2020 study, even before COVID, people were looking for educational opportunities that facilitated well-paid jobs and a better quality of life:

Many survey participants indicated an interest in occupational fields affected by emerging technologies, such as information technology, high finance, and business management. Service careers in these types of occupations provide foundational functions for industry professionals, so training for them isn’t as rigorous even though the work itself is equally critical to industry success. 

Jobs that are common to many industries are also favored for their flexibility, such as human resource management, communications, and business consulting. People are invested in the actual labor they will perform regardless of the nature of the industry in which they work.    

They also indicated different motivations for finding new work. Some were looking to improve their earning capacity or to rise higher on their particular career ladder. Others wanted more balance in their lives, citing a need for more autonomy in their work as well as a better use of their talents or a more meaningful way to spend their time.

Perhaps most significantly, more than half of these respondents said they didn’t have access to the training they needed to attain these goals., and if they did, they would prefer to access that education through a non-degreed, skills training, or online learning program. 

The coronavirus pandemic almost certainly exacerbated these concerns in both this study population and the American population in general. 

What employers need:

Changes in the industrial world are also driving the need for changes in educational programming. While the pandemic closed many businesses for good, others modified their operations to accommodate new demands and quickly found there were slim workforce supplies to help them meet those demands. Colleges can reimagine their non-credit courses to help employers find solutions to their concerns in these new circumstances:

Design courses that focus on existing skills gaps. As an example, the exploding technology sector introduces new and novel software and digital solutions every day, all of which require technicians who understand how to implement, maintain, and secure them. 

Introduce new training programs as quickly as possible. Worker shortages exist across many industries; developing and implementing appropriate training options as soon as possible solves problems for the employer, the new employee, and the school. 

Build industry-recognized credentialing into the program. Sign-posting industry standards of excellence in both training and employment practices emphasizes the connection between the supply and demand for qualified labor.  

Here in early 2022, it appears the COVID-19 pandemic may be receding, leaving in its wake a rearranged and unfamiliar world. Consequently, many people are seeking new ways of earning a living, while many companies are seeking new workforce talents to help them attain new markets. Today’s community colleges can help both populations by providing timely, relevant, and innovative non-credit training opportunities that give the skills both groups need and the enhanced lifestyles both groups want.   

 

Exploring the Options: Non-Credit Community College Courses

Pam Sornson, JD on February 24, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

March 1, 2022

While most people agree that pursuing college credits is a laudable life goal, they may disagree on what actually entails ‘a college education.’ As the economy shifts into its post-COVID ‘normal,’ many are focused on retraining for new opportunities and eying the re-education options available at their local community college. Some will find that the non-credit program opportunities offered there will provide a better education – and future – than they could have imagined in their pre-COVID life.

 

 

The Significance of Non-Credit Courses

America’s current higher education system began as a ‘return to normalcy’ training opportunity for returning soldiers after the wars of the mid-20th Century. Over time, it has evolved into a driver of the four-year university degree ‘ideal,’ and turned its attention and assets to guiding all learners towards that goal. In the process, the schools that didn’t offer those four-year credentials resorted to offering other educational options that didn’t require an end certification, diploma, or degree. Unfortunately, this recalibration of the higher education system also resulted in the discontinuance of the many vocational training programs that had arisen in America beginning in the 19th Century. Left without access to these job-focused training programs, a large percentage of the population no longer had a viable employment preparation process.

The rise of the community college system addressed some of these disparities, as those schools began offering shorter, more distilled courses than were presented at the four-year university. However, many of these courses were offered as ‘non-credit’ courses, meaning that they weren’t tied to attaining credits, diplomas, or certifications. And, because they didn’t lead to those specific educational targets, many people began thinking of both the courses and the ‘community colleges’ that offered them as less valid as educational resources than the offerings provided by four-year universities.

The past decade, however, has revealed a great demand for the ‘middle skills’ taught by those shorter programs and earlier vocational programs. Many companies now recognize that the values offered by these skill sets don’t often accompany a four-year Bachelor’s degree. For many students, attaining an education in half the time can be life-changing. Learners can obtain their chosen occupational training in one- or two-year increments and then launch their career and new life earlier than they thought was possible.

 

 

California Takes the Lead

California’s community colleges (CCC) recognized a decade ago that they could facilitate the demand for middle-skill training by rethinking their non-credit programming. Instead of offering what had become ‘dead end’ courses that did not feed any kind of formal academic award, the CCCs determined that the overarching CCC system (116 schools serving 2.1 million students) should provide occupation-focused training that responded to employer’s needs while accommodating the specific needs of the learner. By reorganizing both the intent and the activities of the non-credit learning system into workforce development programs, schools could use those dedicated funding streams to better respond to the needs of two of their core constituents – their registered students and their local business community. But there are still hurdles to overcome …

Unfortunate Stigma

In too many cases, people continue to overlook the educational options available at community colleges, which they assume are simply stepping stones to a four-year degree or offer no value as the foundation of a meaningful career.

The truth is that today’s community colleges provide two-year, non-credit learning pathways to well-paying jobs that often compare favorably with the values offered by a four-year commitment. The middle-skills they teach – those that provide the essential services that support professionals, industries, and organizations – are becoming more critical as the world transitions into a more digital and connected global economy.

Unnecessary Myths

Dispelling just three myths that shroud the value of a community college program can help learners see what they may have overlooked:

      1. “Community college is too easy.”

Actually, up to 40% of all community college students are fulfilling the prerequisites of the first two years of their intended four-year degree. Academic standards are comparable at both institutions.

      1. “There’s no real ‘college’ experience.”

Also not true. Like a four-year school, community college campuses teem with clubs, groups, events, and other collegiate activities that round out a full college lifestyle.

      1. “They don’t support students as well as four-year colleges.”

Also not true. Community schools offer comparable levels of financial aid and are very flexible in how they work to meet their unique student body needs. In some cases, the community college bests its four-year competitor by providing more fundamental but equally critical ‘soft skills’ for employment attainment, such as interview skills, resume advising, and, depending on the chosen career, even on-the-job training as an element of the program.

 

Enviable Examples

Some examples of diplomas or certifications available through a California community college illuminate the long-range economic value they offer their learners:

Graphics Design:

The COVID pandemic underscored the high value of digital displays, and demand for graphics designers is expected to grow by 3% between now and 2026. These careers span many industries because virtually every enterprise invests in the presentation of its physical and online presence. From sign makers to illustrators to video game designers, the development and deployment of ‘graphics’ is a growing industry. On average, a graphics designer can earn as much as $85,000 per year.

Computer & Business Administration Support:

Workers skilled in both computer systems and administrative functions command high respect in today’s advanced industrial sectors. In many companies, leadership focuses on the organization’s core competencies and relies on its support staff to manage day-to-day office and department functioning. From data entry to records management to basic business math oversight, workers in these occupations can earn up to $28 per hour, and demand for these skills is expected to grow by 6% by 2026.

Medical Office Administration:

Medical offices require a different style of ‘administrative‘ functioning because of their specialized healthcare focus. Medical terminology, in particular, requires specialized knowledge, and workers skilled in medical interpretation and translation perform a critical function within the larger healthcare team. Pay rates for these jobs range from $22,000 to $86,000, although the annual average is about $47,000.

 

As the economy emerges from the pandemic, more of these ‘middle skilled’ jobs are becoming available. California’s community colleges have or are building the training programs needed to provide that middle-skilled workforce, and their non-credit course opportunities offer access to an affordable education and an employment future that many people never believed was achievable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LA County’s Economic & Workforce Agencies

Pam Sornson, JD on February 10, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

February 15, 2022

Many people will measure their life experience from now on by two standards: ‘BC’ (‘before COVID’) and ‘AC’ (‘after COVID’). Emerging in tandem with 2020’s social justice unrest roiling the U.S., the pandemic has irreversibly changed whole swaths of America’s foundational infrastructure. Many occupations simply ceased to exist, being either rendered obsolete by technology or just becoming unnecessary. The demand for highly skilled workers in other occupations skyrocketed as the country pivoted to an online presence in a modified ‘work-from-home’ world. 

Through it all, leaders across the nation struggled to redirect existing resources to accommodate emerging demands. Those who already had a strategy in mind or in place had an advantage over their less prepared colleagues. Fortunately for Los Angeles County (LAC), the long-range economic development strategy was already in place and functioning. Its participants needed some time to regroup due to the coronavirus but are now forging ahead with their modified plans to build a stronger economy and engage a higher percentage of LAC residents. 

 

Pursuing an Economically Sound Future for All     

A 2016 essay by the Brookings Institute summed up the goal of achieving community prosperity through strategic initiatives: build regional economic growth by increasing the productivity of both companies and workers so that all regional residents experience a higher standard of living. The overarching strategy encompasses both markets (industrial clusters) and civics (the work of engaged stakeholders, including business and government leaders). The beneficiaries are the people who live and work within those regions, and their children, and their children. 

The essay also lays out five action principles to ensure any initiative encompasses all the relevant aspects needed for success:

    1. Set appropriate goals that embrace an ‘opportunities for all’ mentality.
    2. Prioritize established companies and emerging industries and include innovations, trade, talent, and governance to enhance competitiveness.
    3. Look to do business with other markets to expand trade opportunities.
    4. Invest in building new skills and the people who teach and learn them.
    5. Connect with all available regional resources so that local communities can participate where they are.   

The overarching strategy lays out a template that any entity can use to build a resilient and successful enterprise, regardless of its location or the nature of its resources. 

 

LAC’s Economic Growth Collective 

Leadership in LAC began its strategic growth trajectory well before that 2016 essay was written. Over the course of many years, regional, state, and local leaders collaborated on how best to manage the region’s resources. Those discussions got deeper and more meaningful as environmental, technological, and social factors evolved.  

LA’s Chamber of Commerce

A key partner in LAC’s growth initiative is its 130-year-old Chamber of Commerce. The organization of business leaders works to advance opportunities to build a thriving, inclusive economy for all LAC residents. Its advocacy efforts reach toward local and regional governments as those agencies develop policies to facilitate and foster economic growth. Its members also collaborate extensively with each other and with colleagues within their individual industries to build longer, stronger sector connections that enhance the efforts of all. Not least significant to the group is the County’s geographical location, sitting as it does at the heart of a globally pivotal economic gateway. The Chamber works with national and international entities to reap the fullest benefit possible from its associations with the global economic community.  

The LAC Economic Development Corporation

In 1980, LAC launched the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to ” … reinvent [the LA region economy] to collaboratively advance growth and prosperity for all.” A private, not-for-profit organization, members of the LAEDC leverage area public and private intellectual, business, and financial investments to reduce the County’s regional social and economic disparities. These days, the group focuses its effort on incorporating lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and state-wide social unrest to maintain and build LAC’s vast industrial complex. 

The Southern California Leadership Council

Informing each of these organizations is the Southern California Leadership Council (SCLC), a partnership of government and business leaders from seven counties who contribute their insights and opinions on critical regional policies that affect millions of Southern California residents. Launched in 2005 by a conference of former governors and civic leaders, the organization offers its experience-based wisdom as guidance for natural resource management (water, climate concerns, energy development and usage, etc.), business attraction and retention, regional logistics, and international trade opportunities. Its effort adds depth and breadth to LAC’s overall economic and development perspective.      

The Center for a Competitive Workforce

In 2017, in partnership with the LAEDC, the County’s 19 community colleges launched the area’s first Center for a Competitive Workforce (CCW), tasking it with coordinating research and development of the talent and worker supply that the region’s industries demand now an will demand in the future. Its foundational purpose is to be a direct connection between the region’s businesses and the region’s workforce training organizations – its 19 community colleges. 

The Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research

The Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research (COEs) are working in conjunction with the CCW, providing critical labor market data to community colleges to inform their program and curricula development strategies. Mount San Antonio College is home to the Los Angeles/Orange County COE, which uses regional data to identify trends in workforce demand and supply for community college decision-making.  

The Los Angeles Regional Consortium

Finally but certainly not least are the 19 community colleges that now make up the Los Angeles Regional Consortium (LARC). The LARC came into existence on January 1, 2022, specifically to build a collaborative, regionally based workforce training pipeline to feed the County’s vast industrial complex. With the assistance and support of its economic community membership, the schools included in the Consortium will be well able to provide the well-trained workforce that will drive the region’s economy for decades to come. 

Together, the efforts of these and other LAC entities are combining to reduce or eradicate the social injustices of the past while embracing the full measure of value offered by the region’s multiethnic population. And, looking across the LAC landscape at its economic and workforce development assets, it’s clear that the area has fully embraced the strategic action principles suggested by Brookings. 

California’s Community Colleges Lie at the Center of its Economic Future

Pam Sornson, JD on February 10, 2022

Pam Sornson, JD

February 15, 2022

While still reeling from the chaos of the past two years, many Los Angeles County (LAC) residents have a growing awareness of the economic opportunities emerging from the fog caused by the pandemic, social unrest, environmental stressors, and other community upheavals. Some may find that their current occupation now offers new avenues for career development; others may be searching for new work after their previous employer closed or downsized. No matter what their precise situation may be, however, their local LAC community college has the resources they need to refresh or upskill their talent or provide whole new opportunities for education and training.      

A newly established regional consortium of LAC’s 19 community colleges – the LARC – is strategizing its collective assets to best serve its core constituents, LAC’s college students, adult learners, and business community. The project flows from the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office (CCCCO), the coordinator of the efforts of all 116 California community colleges. Several statewide initiatives impact the LARC’s work, and all are directed to providing students and their future employers with a well-trained, talented, and thriving workforce.  

 

Many Trajectories = One Strategy

Ultimately, the goal of the CCCCO is to ensure that state and private investments in higher education are appropriately managed and return the desired outcome: a well-trained workforce that meets the needs of the economy’s many businesses and industries. That coordination effort is complicated, however:

There are 1.8 million students enrolled in California’s community colleges (CCC) every year, each of whom is pursuing their individual educational path and career goal. Every student expects to receive the resources and guidance they need to succeed both at school and in their desired career or occupation. 

Together, the schools offer 200+ Career Education programs and 15 Bachelor’s degree programs (in conjunction with the State’s UC and CSU universities). Many students begin their college education at a CCC then finish at or move through a four-year university to their final educational destination. 

Every individual school engages with its local and regional businesses and industries, seeking valuable inputs to partner with its academics. Work-based learning and internship opportunities and on-site learning situations such as field trips and guest lecturers offered by neighboring companies facilitate upskilling educational options for learners. School-based workforce training provides an inexpensive and convenient venue for upskilling already employed staff. The schools also reach out to industry professionals to enhance course curricula and contribute to program decision-making. 

The CCCCO coordinates the efforts of nine administrative divisions to manage the multiple inputs, outputs, resources, and demands generated by the schools and California’s economic, governmental, and industrial complex:

college finance and facilities planning

digital innovation and infrastructure

educational services and supports

government relations

institutional effectiveness

internal operations

marketing and communications

its legal office (general counsel), and

workforce and economic development.           

While all these divisions are critical assets to the running of the CCC system, two divisions are getting enhanced attention in light of the upheavals that have occurred in the past two years; institutional effectiveness and economic and workforce development. 

The Institutional Effectiveness Division

The Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) performs the work of this division. This collaborative of statewide CCC professionals works to improve the impact of the community college in its local and regional areas. It has two primary functions: 

to ensure that each school fulfills the mandates established by federal and state funding contracts, and

to demonstrably improve student success metrics by

eliminating barriers that prevent learners from enrolling in or completing their courses, and

producing higher numbers of graduates across all fields of study.     

The IEPI oversees the professional development of CCC teaching staff, ensuring that what they teach connects with the jobs their students want and the workforce their community needs.    

The Workforce and Economic Development Division

This division oversees the connection between CCC students and their local and regional employer base. By devising and instituting flexible workforce training and career pathways that respond to both student interest and industry demand, the CCC fulfills its mandate to both: graduates find the future they want (either a job, career, or entry to their next educational level), and businesses find the trained and talented workers they need to maintain and grow their market share.  

 

The Vision for Success

Ultimately, the work of the LARC, each of its individual schools, the CCCCO, and the CCC system itself is to fulfill California’s Vision for Success (V4S) mandate. The V4S envisions a bright economic future for the state, where:

every Californian who wants a job will have the training they need to attain the position they seek,

every business that needs employees will find the well-trained workers it requires,

every industry that seeks to expand through innovation and development will find the highly qualified businesses and employees it needs to pursue those goals, and  

all California residents will benefit from the enhanced state economy that a thriving industrial base engenders. 

As a strategy, the V4S pursues seven core commitments, each of which informs the work of the CCCCO and each of its CCCs:

      1. To focus relentlessly on each student’s individual goals;
      2. To decide on and design programs that serve student’s needs;
      3. Encourage high achievements through the provision of high-level support;
      4. Use data, inquiry, and evidence to drive decisions and strategies;
      5. Own its own goals – ensure that the CCC system builds its success on the success of its students;
      6. Embrace innovation and enable action to pursue it, and 
      7. Lead the partnerships that evolve through these processes.  

For three years, the CCCCO has focused on achieving these goals while also addressing the barriers that impede student progress, such as racial, financial, and social disparities. By keeping these core commitments forefront in its actions, the CCCCO is both fulfilling its mandate to the State of California and also addressing the needs of each individual student that crosses a CCC school threshold.  

California’s community colleges represent the hopes and dreams of the State’s future. Working together with LA County’s industrial network, all its collaborative business agencies, and its local and regional think tanks and governments, the schools play an integral part in the growth of the State’s economy and the well-being of its population. With these teams in place and working together, there’s no reason why California can’t continue to maintain its status as a global health-and-well-being beacon and leader.  

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