Pam Sornson, JD, Author at EWD Pulse

Evaluating the Economic Impact of Pasadena City College

Pam Sornson, JD on June 2, 2020

There is a myriad of reasons to attend Pasadena City College (PCC), including gaining employable skills, learning a trade, or preparing for further higher education. What many people don’t consider, however, is the value that PCC offers to its community, both as a business that produces a valuable product, as well as a generator of regional revenue. A new study by economic modeling firm, Emsi, clarifies those values as they flow from the single PCC class of 2018-2019, reflecting a $600M annual spend building on an overall $4B return on investment. Those numbers are impressive in and of themselves, but they really stand out when you extrapolate their meaning across years of educational successes by PCC graduates.

Two Views: Multiple Values

The study looks at the college through two lenses:

as a direct economic generating entity, and

as a long-term public and private investment vehicle.

As a direct economic generation entity, the school is responsible for putting millions of dollars into Pasadena’s economy every year. As a long-term investment vehicle, the school returns billions of dollars of added value to its stakeholders by producing a well-trained workforce, developing innovative new enterprises, and maintaining area and regional industries.

Fundamentally, the Emsi research underscores what PCC’s community already knows: the college plays an integral part in the economic health and well-being of Pasadena and its surrounding region.

Economic Inputs – Class of 2018-2019

As a whole, the school and its constituents generate millions of dollars annually for the local community:

PCC offers a high-quality education for its students at a fraction of the cost of neighboring four-year universities. In-state residents will spend less than $4,000 annually for tuition, books, fees, and supplies, while the expense for out-of-state residents totals less than $10,000. Those values attract local and far-away learners; 65% of the 2018-2019 class came from out of the region.

Each student also represents additional spending in the form of lodging, food, and transportation. With a student population of over 26,000, annual student spending alone contributes over $16,000,000 to the local economy.

The college leverages those student funds to pay its faculty and staff, maintain operations, and support the surrounding businesses that provide its supplies and provisions. The cumulative annual spending by both school staff and its daily operations contributes another $177 million to the local economy.

Together, student and administrative spending by PCC each school year add approximately $200 million to the local economy.

Investment Returns

So, what values does the college generate for its community after its students graduate? According to the report, they are many and they are significant.

For students:

PCC students invest significant values into their education, including not just their tuition and living costs, but also in the forbearance of wages they would earn if they were working instead of attending school. Many also take out student loans to cover their college costs. The class of 2018-2019 invested over $58 million in out-of-pocket expenses and another $167 million in foregone wages and time.

Their investment will pay them back well, however. PCC 2018-2019 graduates with associates degrees will earn approximately $10,500 more per year throughout their career than their high-school graduate peers ($45,000 versus $34,000) and almost double that of non-high school graduates ($26,000).

The return on investment for each student ratio’s out at 4.2; they eventually reap $4.20 in higher earnings for every dollar they spend.

For Taxpayers:

In general, State investment in California’s community colleges is substantial. For example, PCC will use a $42 million appropriation to construct the new Armen Sarafian Building, part of the State’s $215 billion investment in its community schools.

Those investments are expected to rise, too, as California invests in the infrastructures its industries will need in the coming decade. California estimates an 11% growth rate for workers with associates and postsecondary nondegree-level skills by 2026 (as compared to only 7% for all occupations). Further, by 2025, California’s Public Policy Institute predicts a shortage of one million workers in these fields, a fact which demonstrates the growing value of the community college as an economic engine.

The City of Pasadena is thirsty for those workers, too. Its 13 commercial areas are home to globally recognized businesses and industries encompassing every style of occupation from technology to environmental resources to healthcare and healthcare education. These commercial ventures are already invested in the area’s perfect weather and collegial attitude; they are also more than interested in investing in a well-trained workforce, too.

The value of those investments is repaid in a myriad of ways by PCC, its students, and its alumni.

Throughout their careers, PCC graduates return two dollars for each individual public dollar that supported their education.

Additionally, these investments and the improved lifestyles of their recipients represent millions of dollars of costs avoided:

Employed workers make fewer demands on public healthcare services;

Well-educated citizens have fewer interactions with law enforcement, and

Reliable and well-paying employment reduces the demands on income assistance programs.

The net value to taxpayers of the benefits of supporting PCC also ratio’s out to two-to-one, so the State generates twice as much long-term value than it spends on its original investment.

For Society in general:

The Pasadena region benefits in two significant ways because of the presence and significance of its City College:

Added values increase each year as PCC graduate generates higher wages for themselves and contribute higher purchasing and tax values to their neighborhoods. Reduced social costs enhance those added values.

Economically independent citizens enjoy better health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs;

Reduced crime rates reduce demands on public policing services, and

Reduced reliance on public assistance programs such as welfare and unemployment claims lessens the demands on those programs.

The Emsi report indicates that the cumulative revenue benefits and social savings generated by PCC throughout the work lives of its 2018-2019 graduating class totals $4.4 billion, which represents a cumulative return of investment of $9.80 for every single dollar invested.

For the Future:

Not insignificant is the effort of PCC’s alumni population. Since 1924, the college has served tens of thousands of students from dozens of countries. For each student, PCC provided the education, experience, and credentials needed to pursue their career of choice. More recently, as one of the State’s top schools for transfers to four-year universities, PCC has also offered the foundational education needed for those learners to excel at those schools and beyond. The Emsi report reveals that, just in the 2018-2019 school year, PCC alumni contributed an additional $407 million to the regional economy.

When combined, the alumni economic contributions and the annual PCC financial contribution total over $600 million in commercial, public, and social values for the school year 2018-2019. When extrapolated over decades, the dollars generated and saved by PCC and its graduates demonstrate the long-term, sustained, and sustainable values that Pasadena City College offers its students, graduates, community, and region.

The Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion – The Year in Review: Director Jason Barquero

Pam Sornson, JD on May 19, 2020

The Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion (RGFC) launched in May of 2019 in a new building designed specifically to house career-focused programs under the leadership of Pasadena City College’s Economic and Workforce Development division (PCC EWD). The vision of the RGFC is to provide wrap-around services to PCC’s students as they select and pursue their job and career options. The college has already invested significant time and resources into building up the resources of the Center, and its new Director, Jason Barquero, is excited to build out new services and opportunities on that now year-old infrastructure.

Although relatively new to his role as director of the Center, Barquero is not in the least bit new to his role as a leader in career development for college students. Having studied at several Southern California higher ed schools, he’d personally experienced a variety of school-based ‘career development’ strategies. In his career as a college administrator, he’s contributed to the development of several more in his role as Executive Director of the Career Center at the Otis College of Art & Design. He was tapped to lead the RGFC because he brought with him such a deep understanding of both the needs of its student clientele and of the resources needed to slingshot their occupational futures. The timing couldn’t have been more advantageous: The Center was approaching its first anniversary and needed someone in charge who would be able to harness all the educational and occupational values that it represents.

RGFC – One Year In

When he arrived in April 2020 (more about that later), Barquero found the RGFC primed to move forward in developing job and career-focused resources for PCC students and the businesses that would hire them:

The school’s programs were already designed to support career-focused learning. PCC organizes its programming into six ‘Career Communities,’ each centered on a specific industry. Building connections within those industries would only enhance the school’s existing educational strategy.

Many of the faculty were already incorporating ‘work-based learning’ (WBL) into their curricula, in the form of field trips, workshops, and other un-classroom activities.

Partnerships had been established with many area businesses, and those were robust in developing deeper and broader opportunities for growth.

And there were already significant counseling and advising teams in place. Resources were available so students could explore career preferences, create resumes, and practice interviews while still in college.

Barquero liked that the educational strategy of the College and its Career Center were so far along in just one year.

He also liked the PCC culture and how it, too, embraced and applauded the ‘education for career’s sake’ mentality. The school’s Board of Trustees and its partner, the philanthropic Pasadena City College Foundation, had already invested in both academic resources (a comprehensive, enlightened faculty) and a physical facility (the Center itself). These investments were, in themselves, a testament to their commitment to PCC students and the communities from which they come. With that level of support in place, Barquero recognized that many of the traditional barriers to high-quality, career-focused learning simply did not exist on the Pasadena City College campus. He was ready to roll from day one.

The Coronavirus as a Motivator

As noted above, Barquero joined the school just as the state implemented its COVID-19 ‘safer at home’ mandate. While he had expected to come to school each day and work within the bustling halls of the Freeman Center, now he was working from home (WFH), with staff and colleagues who were new to him, and a student body he has yet to meet. Was he deterred in his enthusiasm for his new job? No. It turns out that just the opposite is true.

Much of Barquero’s work before PCC was in developing technology resources, so he was already familiar with video conferencing, virtual field trips, and other digitally enhanced learning experiences. Whatever resources PCC now has in the way of technology to assist with learning, Barquero is already comfortable with, and he has previously worked through the bugs and challenges that those might present to a less experienced tech-based educator. At the same time, the Center also has on staff a dedicated Work-Based Learning (WBL) Manager, Jacqueline Javier (more on her in a separate article), so at least one role on his foundational team was already filled. From his perspective, the first year of the RGFC had been very well spent.

Maximizing Present Opportunities

Further, rather than being daunted by the WFH requirement, Barquero has determined that he will spend this time inventorying and rallying all the resources available now at PCC. He will also be strategizing a future for the school that will provide a stable and comprehensive learning environment regardless of this or other pandemics (or any other disaster that might come along).

And he has an enlightened perspective about how that future might look:

In just his short time with PCC, Barquero continued with the on-going transition of all of the Center’s workshops to a digital format, so none of those resources are either wasted or sitting idle. After a brief lull, while students found their way back to their now virtual school, they began signing up in droves, with attendances in these virtual classrooms quickly filling up. The process reveals more than just an uptick in student numbers; it also generates student engagement data that will inform PCC’s metrics counters.

These virtual learning situations don’t close the classroom, either; they extend it into the world where learners want to work. The students are learning not just their school lessons (faculty members are on board, as well, and present their course work through the same digital portals), but also the technical skills that will enhance their value to future employers.

Barriers are falling, too, as the technology levels the societal playing field that has, for so long, impeded the progress of community college attendees. Students who may have missed field trips or other course-related opportunities because of transportation or family demands can now attend virtually from home, along with all of their classmates. These experiences are especially helpful for first-generation college attendees, who may be seeing, for the first time, a world that was worlds away for their parents.

Looking Ahead to the Next Year and Beyond

Barquero is equally excited about how technology and forward-thinking will engage the business community and PCC’s alumni community, both of which he sees as much more significant players in the school’s future. He plans to expand his outreach into these communities using the same technologies he now employs with his student clients.

In some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic is helping Barquero by giving him the time he needs to formulate these ideas and plans, as well as the strategies he’ll pursue to implement them. He’s grateful for that opportunity, as well as for the fact that Pasadena City College was so foresighted when it designed and launched its Career Center just a year ago.

According to Jason Barquero, one year after its launch, the Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion is not only well-founded, but its also well poised to provide its students with a bustling and prosperous future for years to come.

The Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion – The Year in Review: WBL Manager Jacqueline Javier

Pam Sornson, JD on May 19, 2020

The Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion (RGFC) at Pasadena City College (PCC) is notching its first anniversary this month. Designed to provide comprehensive career guidance to every member of PCC’s student body, the Center helps its clients with everything ‘job’ and ‘career’ related, from self-discovery and career exploration to resume development and workplace readiness. Its first year was a whirlwind of activity, as it gathered and marshaled resources, reached out to community members, and developed partnerships across its campus and the Pasadena and regional business communities. By building a comprehensive library of available on-site and local resources, the Center can better assist its clients in making the connections they need to further their career aspirations.

Bridging Academia and Industry

Not the least significant of the work done by the Center’s inaugural staff was the outreach to faculty and staff by the school’s Manager of “Work-Based Learning” (WBL), Jacqueline Javier, who joined the Center in July 2019. Jacqueline brings to the Center her long experience with WBL initiatives and strategies, derived from both her personal education and professional career. WBL offers a myriad of benefits to every student by enabling them to apply classroom learning to the world of work, reinforcing their career choices, and enhancing their employability skills. Employers also gain from providing a WBL opportunity by accessing a strong talent pipeline of well-trained students who bring innovation and efficiency to the workplace.

Early on in her career, Jacqueline recognized that many students at the high school and postsecondary level lacked access to work-based learning experiences. In her then position, it was her job to create those opportunities, and when she did, she was rewarded by the students’ almost immediate sense of belonging and motivation. Jacqueline was perhaps most touched by young learners from special populations and those who were the ‘first generation’ in their family to even consider attending college. These insights strengthened her resolve to make WBL the focus of her career, and when the WBL Manager job came available at PCC, she jumped at the opportunity.

New Center; New Year; New Opportunities

It was fortunate for PCC that she did, as Jacqueline almost immediately began connecting some dots around campus. She was already impressed by PCC’s foresight to house its career services offices in the Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) department. This organizational structure provided a unique perspective on how PCC addressed the WBL opportunity, enabling the Freeman Center to be the single location where students, faculty, and employers can seek support.

Her first strategy through the 2019 Summer was to engage with the school’s Institutional Effectiveness Team, to glean insights from them and maximize the value of assets they had already developed. Then she embarked on a mission to inventory every element of WBL then existing at the school. While she found that many faculty members were already integrating some form of WBL in their classroom, many of them were not classifying those activities as WBL. This became an opportunity for her to raise awareness on WBL and its different components. Jacqueline collaborated with EWD leadership to establish a WBL definition for the college to ensure all WBL opportunities are captured and recorded as the assets that they are. Through strong collaboration with the Institutional Effectiveness Team, Instructional Deans, Faculty, and Program Coordinators at the college, Javier is centralizing WBL data and simultaneously providing a source of support for those coordinating WBL activities.

The metrics captured to date revealed that Pasadena City College was already doing a lot to support its student’s career plans, including incorporating into lesson planning the values received through internships, job shadowing, and mentoring opportunities.

Growing in Competence and Comprehension

Over the course of Year One, Jacqueline found herself acting as a liaison for a number of PCC stakeholders:

She collaborated with faculty members to find internship opportunities for their students, including helping to define the parameters of the role and the preferred business resources needed to achieve the education. Once established, the students can return to the work-based learning team at the RGFC to better understand how their internship experiences can translate to course credits.

She also collaborated with businesses to identify organizational needs, create new internship positions, and recruit students with the skill bases needed to fill their employment needs.

Along with her Career Services colleagues, she also liaises with other PCC resources to ensure they meet every student’s needs so that each person can continue their educational journey. Housing, transportation, and tutoring supports are addressed, along with academic and employment services. (Jacqueline notes, in particular, the generosity of the PCC Foundation, which has offered a variety of supports to PCC students in need.)

Jacqueline’s work across the campus and in the community enhances the values offered by the college’s six Career Communities. She works to develop unique internships that will meet the needs of students representing the different Career Communities while working with other individuals on-campus to ensure student barriers are removed. The effort results in a mosaic of resources – counseling, coursework, faculty and industry inputs and (most importantly) student skills – tailored to meet the needs of each individual learner.

Flush with Past Success

Looking back on her accomplishments, Jacqueline notes now that matching the student to the appropriate WBL opportunity is critical to their success. She and her team meet each student where they are on their life and educational paths, then help to guide them to the future of their choosing. The wrap-around career services provided by the Freeman Center help close an equity gap because every student qualifies for help regardless of their situation, and every student gains the resources they need to be successful.

And looking for Future Success

Looking forward, Jacqueline is using the COVID-19 situation to hone the technologies needed to facilitate and expand more virtual WBL options for students, faculty and employers. On-site internships are not available right now, nor are face-to-face counseling sessions or other person-to-person engagements. However, virtual meetings, interviews, and trainings are in the works as are experiential learning opportunities from far-away places. These options may not have been considered without the COVID interference with normal operating processes. Jacqueline sees her emerging digital foundation as an adjunct that supports and extends the Center’s physical plant, offering a broader base of resources to a more extensive and diverse student population.

And she is both learning herself and teaching others that developing an educated and well-skilled worker is both a skill and an art. Jacqueline Javier is thrilled that PCC and its Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion gives her such a broad canvass through which to do that work.

PCC SBDC Success Stories – GoTribe: Tackling Fitness Issues

Pam Sornson, JD on May 11, 2020

GoTribe is a fitness and wellness company specializing in fitness classes, nutritional coaching, and stress management. Founder Chris Hodges developed a program to combat client attrition and increase success rates and is currently expanding his business by offering his programs via
a virtual trainer.

Challenges

Having been employed as a personal trainer for 10 years, Chris decided
to launch his own training studio, but he needed capital to lease a space and hire employees. He also wished to make his training services more accessible by developing a virtual training app. To build a technology-based program that is scalable and cost-effective, Chris needed a business plan and additional capital to invest in the technology. What was he missing?

Lack of Capital to Start & Grow
Help Developing Business Plan
Hiring Employees

Solutions

Chris first met with Larry Johnson, a senior Business Advisor at the Pasadena City College SBDC. Larry introduced him to Celtic Bank, where he was able to obtain a $100,000 loan to start the business. Chris then met with Don Loewel, also a senior Business Advisor at the Pasadena City College SBDC. Don helped him develop a business plan and marketing strategy.

With a well-defined plan, Chris received $150,000 through Quake Capital. GoTribe then developed an app-based training program that provides customization and accountability, addressing the two key factors in fitness attrition. The app will be sold for about $10. Where did he start?

Access to Investment Capital of $250,000
Developed a Business Plan & Marketing Strategy
Hired CTO & CMO for Growth

Results

From the time Chris walked through the door of the SBDC to today, GoTribe
has received $250,000 in investment capital, hired 26 employees, tripled his sales and added a new location. Additionally, the company developed a virtual training app that can be expanded globally. How far has he come?

Tripled Sales & Added a New Location
Created 26 New Jobs
Developed App-based Virtual Trainer

Looking back, Chris attributes his success to the mentorship, introductions, and guidance received through the SBDC. Looking forward, he’ll access those same resources again.

PCC SBDC Success Stories – Growth Strategy for BC Design Haus

Pam Sornson, JD on May 10, 2020

BC Design Haus is a boutique design and branding agency founded by Bernadette Capulong, who formerly worked for high profile companies such as P&G, Nestle, and Mattel.

Challenges

With a strong foundation of work experiences, Bernadette launched her firm in 2014. Through past relationships, she was able to secure her first clients but was seeking to grow her company to its next level. Bernadette wanted to develop a sales strategy, add staff, and better manage client expectations. Her fundamental questions?

How to Grow the Company
Finding & Hiring Qualified Staff
Developing New Business

Solutions

Don Loewel, a Business Advisor at the SBDC hosted by Pasadena City College, met with Bernadette. He provided her with a growth strategy, including a new business development process. He helped implement the use of the industry-known CRM, SalesForce. He then helped to develop a hiring plan that included recruitment, interviewing, and onboarding management. How did he help?

Implemented a Business Development Plan
Executed a Recruitment & Hiring Process
New Business Development Strategy

Results

With SBDC’s help, the company has since grown consistently and significantly. Additionally, the company has acquired a larger office space, hired 7 employees, and 7 independent contractors. With the added growth, Bernadette has been able to offer employees an attractive benefits program. What success has she experienced?

Sales Increased by over 500%
Hired 7 Full-Time Employees & 7 Independent Contractors
Tripled the Size of Office Space

Bernadette attributes her success to the advice she received at the SBDC: “The SBDC is a hidden gem in the business community. Having a mentor to talk through issues is invaluable.”

PCC SBDC Success Stories – Corte’ Studio: Beyond the Fringe

Pam Sornson, JD on May 9, 2020

Jennifer Kalil owns Corté Studio in Pasadena, which specializes in cutting kids’ hair.

Challenges

Jennifer knew she had a solid business idea but wasn’t sure how to go from concept to creation. She knew she needed a plan, a marketing strategy, a financial system, and guidance to secure a suitable location. She first went to her credit union for advice, who referred her to the Small Business Development Center. Her initial challenges?

No Prior Business Experience
Lease Negotiation
Financial & Accounting Set-Up
Limited Marketing Budget

Solutions

Jennifer initially met with Don Loewel, a Business Advisor at the SBDC hosted by Pasadena City College. Don helped her develop a business plan, which included startup expenses, projected sales, and on-going cost. Don also advised Jennifer on which questions to ask when securing the lease.

To establish the financial and accounting system, SBDC Business Advisor Astrid Galvez helped Jennifer set up a DBA, obtain a tax ID, set up Quickbooks, and hire a bookkeeper. She also helped her to open a business banking account and choose a Point of Sale system.

SBDC Business Advisor Lindsey Heisser assisted Jennifer with a marketing plan and helped her build a strong social media presence that organically drew in new customers. What were her next steps?

Created a Business & Marketing Plan
Guidance During Lease Negotiation
Implemented Accounting Processes Point of Sale System
Created a Social Media Marketing Strategy

Results

Corté Studio’s customer base has grown steadily month after month. Since launching the business in 2016, Jennifer has moved into a larger salon space, hired an assistant, and plans to hire additional stylists. How has her business grown?

Steady Growth Each Month
Hired 1 Full-time Assistant with Plans to Hire 2-3 Additional Stylists
Moved to Expand Capacity

As her clientele expands and she looks to the future, Jennifer continues to seek business advice from the SBDC at Pasadena City College.

PCC SBDC – Your Local CARES Connection

Pam Sornson, JD on May 8, 2020

Its name suggests only a small part of the great work done by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Pasadena City College (PCC). Yes, it does provide counseling, support, information, and guidance to any business looking to launch, grow, or expand. These days, however, it’s also a central support center for company owners looking for help in accessing federal CARES Act resources. Plus, it offers students an entrepreneurial-oriented training facility so they can learn the nuts and bolts of building a business in addition to their classwork studies. The full scope of the SBDC keeps director Don Loewel and his staff and business advisors busier than they’ve ever been.

CARES First

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is the federal government’s economic response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has shut down thousands of businesses across the state. It offers financial relief for displaced workers, small businesses, and state and local governments struggling with business closures, falling revenues, and mounting debts. At the SBDC, Loewel’s 12 business advisors are hard at work, providing research and support to hundreds of local companies seeking loans and other types of assistance while they wait out the virus shutdown. The advisors also offer guidance to company leaders on managing the transition to a post-covid workplace, including those with newly established remote workers, and remote customers.

And its services are no-cost to the organizations that need them. The Center is supported by a variety of grants, as well as by its host, Pasadena City College. Its open-door policy is proving especially advantageous to the San Gabriel Valley business community here in 2020. Because of the virus, the number of companies served by the PCC SBDC this year is expected to grow to over 1,000, as the pandemic sweeps in waves through the economy. PCC’s SBDC helps its business clients maintain their core values while also helping them plan for a decidedly different future.

While the SBDC is already a busy office – it typically serves 600 to 700 unique business clients per year – it is open to any small business owner or entrepreneur who wants information about developing and building a business. As one of 35 SBDC’s spread across California, the Pasadena Center shares resources with its colleagues and partners in the Los Angeles Regional SBDC Network, which also offers access to a deep and extensive collection of information and tools. Research reveals that SBDC’s deliver measurable economic impact to their communities based on their clients’ job creation capacities and volume of revenue generation.

Expertise Built on Experience

Loewel himself brings significant experience into the SBDC leadership role, after enjoying a 25-year career in marketing, management, and sales in the Medical Device and telemedicine software industries. His commercial strategy and business development acumen have assisted many Southern California small and mid-market firms in building sustainable and long-term growth. He first spent three years as a consultant and advisor for the PCC SBDC before taking the director job in 2018.

His team of expert advisors also provide a wealth of information and insights gleaned from long and successful business careers. With a consistent eye on innovation, these professionals instruct their clients on business planning, marketing strategies, financial analysis, and raising capital, just to name a few. They also help budding entrepreneurs apply Lean Launchpad principles, to build strong foundations for their startups. Loewel and his team have mentored startup teams at PCC, CalState LA, Caltech, and USC. And while based primarily in the regions’ major industries (technology, healthcare, bioscience, retail, and manufacturing), SBDC expertise and workshops also cover foundational business standards, such as corporate organization, accounting, and human resources. Depending on the product or service, clients can explore the many facets of the hospitality industry, the challenges presented by local, regional, and global logistics, or how to design a successful website.

Engaging the PCC Campus

In fall, 2019, the PCC SBDC pioneered a new concept on campus, the PCC Maker Festival. Inviting faculty and students from the school’s many clubs, including the MESA organization (Math, Engineering, Sciences, and Arts), Loewel and his team hosted local industry organizations to display their technology to Festival attendees. The all-day event gathered 200 visitors, including students, businesses, and the public in general, who toured 18 exhibitor booths, learning about each other and future possibilities of working together. The JPL Rover project was an especially popular display, and based on the turnout and feedback, Loewel is planning to host PCC Maker Festival as an annual event.

Leading Life-Long Learners

In addition to one-on-one advising and consultations, the SBDC delivers many of its resources through its workshops, which are open to all:

BizEd

These series of seminars and workshops offer insights into the latest industry evolutions and trends. Recent gatherings have focused on how technology is influencing the art of doing business, and their topics included seminars on digital marketing and the fundamentals of e-Commerce. Tailored to meet the commercial demands of the day, the SBDC designs each session to deliver the essential best practices and strategies needed to compete in today’s challenging economic climate. Undoubtedly, someone at the SBDC is designing new workshops and seminars that address the business concerns emerging from and caused by the current pandemic.

Venture Launch

Perhaps the ‘star’ of the PCC SBDC program is its “Venture Launch” program. This six-week program teaches “Lean Startup” principles to multiple teams of innovators and entrepreneurs. Its goal is to provide the hands-on learning needed to test the commercial viability and business model of a new product or business idea. Each week, teams conduct their own field tests on their selected business model, then report their findings and conclusions to the class. Free to PCC students and alumni, the course guides the teams through all phases of initiating corporate development, including analysis of its value propositions, distribution channels, customer acquisition, revenue models, and more.

Venture Launch is led by Loewel and Albert Napoli (a lecturer at the USC Grief School of Entrepreneurship), using the “Lean Methodology” principles developed, in part, by entrepreneurship icon Steve Blank. In addition to PCC students, Venture Launch has included teams from the local tech community as well as USC, Caltech, and CalState LA. The PCC SBDC offers 2 cohorts of Venture Launch each year, with the spring program currently underway via Zoom. For information on the Fall cohort of Venture Launch, please go to www.pccventurelaunch.com, or email us at pccventurelaunch@pasadena.edu.

By all accounts, PCC’s Small Business Development Center is anything but small – just ask the local business owners who found the help they needed at this very challenging time. Small business owners, students, and regional industries all benefit from the vision and insights offered by the PCC SBDC team, right when the San Gabriel Valley community needs them the most.

Meet The Demands Of The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Pam Sornson, JD on April 21, 2020

Welcome to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as coined by Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum’s founder and executive chairman. While the first three industrial revolutions produced fundamental and drastic changes in how we work and live, the current revolution moves beyond many people’s imaginations. Workplace skills and abilities are transforming before our eyes to meet the new demands arising from autonomous cars, gene editing, smart homes, and intelligent robots.

According to a 2019 report by The Brookings Institution, routine physical and cognitive skills will be the most vulnerable subject to the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s technological change. These skills include those found in office administration, transportation, production, and food preparation. These jobs are deemed “high risk,” with projections that at least 70% of these tasks can be automated. Other positions that aren’t considered high risk but will be significantly impacted by technological automation include sales, facilities support, personal care, construction, health support, and agriculture.

The Impact To Come

Automation refers to machines performing tasks typically performed by humans, but with higher speed and greater accuracy and precision. The implementation of automation doesn’t mean that robots will be taking our jobs, as some of the earlier artificial intelligence and deep learning concerns chanted. Automation, instead, works alongside humans, allowing workers to focus on higher-level tasks.

This reality is that many jobs will become obsolete. Automation will impact different geographic areas in different ways. For example, according to Brookings, 47.1% of employment placements in Akron, Ohio, are at risk due to automation, threatening as many as 341,930 existing jobs. In the New York City metro area, 42.2% of posts are vulnerable, impacting over 9.5 million jobs. The global workforce will need to ready itself for what’s often called “the future of work.”

To compete in the 21st century, employers will need employees who possess in-demand hard skills such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, business analytics, and people management skills. Additionally, employees will need in-demand soft skills such as creativity, collaboration, and adaptation.

The Revolution’s Demographic Impact

Like skill set and geographic impact, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will impact demographic groups differently. The Brookings report asserts that men, youth, less-educated workers, and underrepresented groups would be significantly affected by growing automation. For example, 49% of young workers between the ages of 16 and 24 will be most adversely impacted, along with Hispanic, Native American, and African American workers.

Three Ways to Prepare for the Future of Work

Organizations including The Brookings Institution, the Society of Human Resources Society, and The Aspen Institute have expressed that the government and employers should play a demonstrative role in training and developing workers, readying them for the future of work. Workforce readiness moves beyond merely training for new jobs, such as business analytics or computer programming positions. It also includes training and developing employees who will be impacted by the growing implementation of technology in the workplace. This group encompasses nontraditional or underrepresented workers, such as veterans, disabled workers, and those in the gig economy.

Upskill your employees.

The challenge for employers who must address the current and projected skills gap is to find quality candidates for available jobs. Skill development today goes beyond traditional educational degrees or certifications and now encompasses lifelong learning as a primary driver for employee success. Employers should assess job readiness in areas including skills, knowledge, and behavior. By understanding the initial status of their job candidates and employees, employers can determine the skills they need to teach, refine, or develop. Governmental entities and employers should promote training and educational development practices and programs that allow employees to learn new skills and move forward in their careers.

Promote a learning mindset culture.

In addition to upskilling current workers, employers should promote a ‘learning mindset’ culture by investing in reskilled workers, providing accelerated or in-flow learning, and implementing accessible training delivered to employees through smartphones, laptops, podcasts, or social media. By expanding options for training and education, employers can reach employees where they are, whether they’re an almost-retired baby boomer or a Gen Zer in their first job. By promoting a ‘learning mindset’ culture, employers and employees alike can develop currently needed work skills and prepare the organization for the work skills required for the future.

Ease the adjustment.

Finally, employers should implement strategies and programs for easing workers into the future of work, especially those who will be displaced or adversely affected by automation. For example, as suggested by the Aspen Institute, employers can help build a skilled workforce by empowering employees to invest in their training and development through portable access and new training opportunities, such as online training or at a community college. Not every worker will have access to employer-provided or paid professional development. Access to skills development will be critical to workforce readiness.

Further, employers can expand career counseling and reemployment services for employees transitioning to new positions or companies. During these transitions, employees need to understand what skills are necessary for their new jobs and how to acquire them. Skills evaluations in career counseling programs will allow employees to identify their current skill sets and any deficiencies that hamper their career growth.

Through skills tests, training, professional development, and strategic creativity, employers and employees can prepare today for the workforce of tomorrow.

Applying New Guidance and Regulations to Stay Safe

Pam Sornson, JD on April 20, 2020

These are unprecedented times for Pasadena. While the Pasadena City College (PCC) campus has closed until the end of the semester, its faculty and staff are still on the job, helping students and community partners maintain their balance in these confusing times. Both businesses and industries continue to struggle to make sense of incoming guidance and how to apply new regulations over their existing standards.

As the leader of one of our local businesses, your best local resource is the Pasadena City College Small Business Development Center. They offer technical assistance and support to our community businesses. PCC has also created a site that streamlines all the information flowing into the school because of the Covid-19 concern, Covid19biztools.com. There are public and private resources there for every company.

The spread of the disease is making the struggle harder: As of April 2, California reports close to 10,000 cases and is expecting that number to grow. Every business is asked to follow all social distancing recommendations and requirements during this time to reduce the opportunity for further and unnecessary infections within our community.

At PCC, we are highly sensitive to the needs of our business and industry neighbors, so we are offering these notes in support of your efforts to get your company and its workers safely through this Covid-19 pandemic.

Be “Safer at Home”

As of March 19, the City of Pasadena is under a “Safer at Home” order (Executive Order N-33-20), which requires all individuals to stay at home (in their place of residence) pending resolution of the Covid-19 crisis. All businesses that aren’t considered ‘essential’ (see below) must close and allow their workers to remain at home. To these employers, we thank you for ensuring that both your workers and our community stay safe because of your support for ‘social distancing. ‘

Only ‘essential’ workers, those who provide ‘critical infrastructure operations,’ can continue to move about the community. The list of occupations that are considered ‘critical infrastructure’ is long and encompasses vital industries, including healthcare, public safety, food services, energy, water resources, and more. The businesses that perform these services are integral to maintaining Pasadena’s services, and their workforce is risking its health to get that work done. Thank you to all who are working hard to keep the rest of us safe.

Use This Time Well

For open and closed businesses, there are actions that can be taken now to manage this crisis and prepare for future emergencies, including another pandemic. Guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers insights into both the specifics of this Covid-19 concern, as well as instructions on how to control and prevent the spread of this or any disease in employment settings:

Develop an ‘Infectious Disease’ Preparedness Plan

The plan should evaluate the various risk factors that are unique to the business:

Within the facility:

Every area and surface is (probably) capable of hosting a viral or bacterial threat, regardless of their location. Bathrooms and kitchens are likely areas, but so are telephones, computer keyboards, customer service desks, and doors. Take the time now to determine where these risks are located in your business and to put in place some basic infection prevention measures to keep them sanitary and hygienic.

Within the workforce:

The biggest challenge here is not knowing where your workers and customers were before they walked through your door. They may have picked up the infection (or bacterial concern) while out in the world and are bringing it into your establishment. Establish protocols for sick workers, develop handwashing and cleaning protocols for office surfaces and limit the requirement of physical contact between your employees and customers (no more handshakes!)

Within the workforce (again):

Your workers may have risk factors themselves that require special handling, such as health concerns (i.e. -chronic health conditions). The plan can include directives specific to those employees.

Within the operations systems:

Every crisis will cause some amount of absenteeism, reduced supply resources, and decreasing revenues. Your plan can include contingency actions in the event your company experiences any of these business interrupters, to minimize losses and maintain safety.

Perhaps the biggest lesson for today’s employers stemming from the Covid-19 concern is the need to remain flexible in the face of uncertainty. Fortunately for many companies, remote work-from-home opportunities reduce downtime and help to maintain at least a percentage of the company’s regular workflow. If your company can operate that way but doesn’t yet have those capacities, it’s a great time to develop them now, or at least put together the plan to put them in place.

Note, too, that, according to OSHA, for most companies, simply following existing standards will go a long way towards avoiding infection in local workforces.

Seek Help

The federal government is offering assistance, but there are many agencies and entities closer to home that are offering helpful resources during these dark days. Here in the LA area, the City of Pasadena, the Foothill Workforce Development Board, and dozens of agencies are assisting local businesses. Perhaps your enterprise can benefit from their generosity:

You can also find help at the US and CA Small Business Administration, the City of Los Angeles, and the Jewish Free Loan Association are all offering bridge loans to tide companies through the pandemic. (Anyone can qualify!).

There are also groups offering support for specific worker populations, so while they may not support your business, they do support your staff:

bartenders
freelance artists
tipped and services workers
children of restaurant workers
domestic workers, and
people who are struggling with student loan payments

Food and Other Support

Cities and groups are offering free food support, including both food bank opportunities and free take-out options. Los Angeles has a community-sourced list of food and housing supports for all groups, including undocumented people, the LGBTQ community, and the homeless population.

Other services/supports are also available:

CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens are providing free medication deliveries;
Both Los Angeles City and County have put moratoriums on evictions, which will ease the stress on families andbusinesses struggling to pay their rent. Pasadena is also contemplating joining this effort.

How NOT to Pass the Time

Unfortunately, despite the warnings and prohibitions, too many people around the country left the safety of their homes to congregate in large groups at local tourism locations, such as beaches and parks. Without work or school on the calendar, taking that sort of break sounds like a fine idea. However, those crowds create the exact type of threat that the “Be Safe at Home” proclamation is designed to avoid: easy and swift virus transmission through close human contact.

If you have closed your company or you have limited your business hours and relieved your workers of their shifts, it is appropriate for you also to suggest that they actually stay home and not wander the community during these difficult times. The critical thing to remember is that the Covid-19 pandemic will subside, and work will return to its ‘new’ normal (for most businesses), and you will need your trained and experienced workforce ready to return to work as soon as that opportunity gets the green light.

No matter what, the Covid-19 pandemic has already changed how America works. Use this opportunity to limit your company’s exposure to the current crisis and be prepared for the next one. Then take a breath and enjoy the enforced downtime; it’ll do you, your family, and your organization a world of good.

The Future of Work After COVID-19

Pam Sornson, JD on April 19, 2020

The COVID-19 concern has already disrupted thousands of companies and millions of lives in California. In the short-term, that means many workers are now seeking unemployment insurance (UI) as work stops while the country struggles to contain the pandemic. In the mid-term, getting back to a ‘new normal’ means adopting new processes and procedures in some or all of our work-related activities. In the long-term, the COVID-19 virus will almost certainly usher in a new way of working in general, demand new ways of performing traditional labor and services, and compel the development of a more complex and agile workforce.

The Short-Term View is … Distressing

For workers, it’s been a challenging past few weeks, with millions losing their jobs. In California, as of April 9, the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD) had processed approximately 2.3 million Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims over the previous four weeks; in just the one week ending April 4, the EDD processed over 925,000 individual claims.

In response, the state is working with the federal government to implement the opportunities contained in the new “Corona Aid, Relief and Economic Security” Act (CARES Act). That Act provides a new 13-week extension of regular unemployment benefits and a new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which offers unemployment support for workers who don’t usually qualify for unemployment benefits, such as the self-employed. The state also has several services available to help workers access benefits and obtain other assistance, including directions to set up unemployment insurance accounts, and the contacts for community resources available for food, housing, and transportation concerns.

The coronavirus is also impacting employers by forcing them to make decisions without the opportunity to comply with state law. Consequently, the Governor has temporarily suspended the 60-day notice requirement for those who’ve had to lay off or terminate their whole staff because of the pandemic. Companies can also request a 60-day extension to file payroll taxes (note the virus as the reason for submitting the extension request) and may be able to find additional financial support through local workforce development boards. Not all rules are suspended, however, and companies are still required to follow most of the protections in place for workers who lose their jobs.

The Mid-Term View is … Chaotic

Because of the virus, the vast majority of workers who still have their jobs are now encouraged to or are actually Working From Home (WFH) – 88%, according to Gartner. The shift has had an enormous impact on business and industry and is revealing where societal systems are weak, and where they are surprisingly strong.

Those companies that can transition their workforce into a ‘distributed’ resource are the most likely to hold their ground during the crisis, but the change isn’t without challenge. The capacities of home-based technology are rarely comparable to those of work-based systems, especially when it comes to security concerns. Workers may require additional training to ensure they are capturing the full nuance of their new ‘virtual’ job expectations. The company may have to invest in additional technology resources to ensure the WFH requirement doesn’t unnecessarily erode its capabilities or expose new vulnerabilities.

The employment realities are dire in those industries that are not compatible with a WFH initiative. Thousands of businesses that require face-to-face interactions with customers have closed, including retailers, restaurants, and service providers. For many of those establishments, the closures will be permanent. When the COVID-19 crisis subsides (which it will), the return to work will be equally chaotic, as corporate leaders take stock of their legacy systems and retool their organizations to be more flexible in the face of future, similar events.

The Long-term View is … Optimistic

As with every crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic also provides an opportunity to seek a fresh perspective on foundational corporate operations. With a few exceptions, ‘business as usual’ simply won’t exist when the company doors are open again and those legacy parameters won’t be returning. The situation can provide today’s business leaders with lessons arising from the fall-out of COVID-19, and how they might reframe their strategizing to both capture new opportunities while protecting against a similar disaster in the future.

Rethinking Fundamentals

Even if most companies were already utilizing technology to manage a percentage of their operational capacity, the COVID-19 concern escalated that demand, as well as the organization’s reliance on it. Technology was able to provide the connection between business+worker+customer that the virus had eliminated. It’s reasonable to assume, then, that that new symbiosis – the new ‘virtual venture’ – is also the new foundation for future operational success. Business leaders can now assess the core elements of their company to determine how they can improve its productivity from that newly empowered digital perspective.

Revising Systems for Future Success

Many industries have already adapted to a temporary system overhaul as their participants scrambled to manage their COVID-19 experience. Looking forward, the vulnerabilities revealed in that scramble remain but can be used to direct remedial efforts:

Supply chains took a significant hit from the virus, and many businesses lost their capacity to maintain continuity as parts, materials, and other resources went missing.

Fundamental business intelligence was lost, too, as connections were dropped when workers went home, or contracted partners were shuttered.

Financial management also churned through the pandemic. Some companies lost access to needed revenues, while others struggled to manage a surge in transactions as consumers connected through digital portals.

Understanding how these disruptions impacted the organization in the short term can help direct its efforts to avoid those disruptions in the long run.

Supporting Concerned Consumers

At the heart of every company is its relationship with its customers, and those consumers are now very aware that even casual interactions can pose serious health threats. For strictly online companies, face-to-face interactions are unnecessary, and consumer confidence in those systems probably won’t change. Those companies that do interact either face-to-face or through product shipments should be working to regain their customer’s trust and confidence. Actively demonstrating and talking about the actions they’ve taken/are taking to mitigate that risk will assure their consumers that they are taking the concern seriously and managing it appropriately.

Re-envisioning the Developing Workforce

It’s almost certain that the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the culture of virtually every company, and leaders can assess those cultural lessons to build a more robust, agile, and productive workforce. At the least, now is an opportune time to celebrate the value of employees, regardless of the nature of the business. Those who work from home assumed that obligation and continue to provide valuable effort while distanced from colleagues. Those who were laid off were obviously the foundation upon which the business was built. Now is an excellent time to actively recognize both employee classes for the value they offered – and will continue to offer – their employers.

Looking ahead, the new phrase describing tomorrow’s labor population is ‘elastic digital workforce,‘ a workforce that can quickly and nimbly adapt to social, technical, and environmental changes. These workers are now comfortable with working from home and may provide better service because they have that option. The opportunity to maintain a ‘distributed workforce’ can also save money for the organization, if it doesn’t need to provide a brick-and-mortar office site for its staff. Further, as the average age of the workforce drops (by 2025, three in four of all workers will be under the age of 50), so does the definition of the word, ‘work.’ For these generations, the fluidity of a work-life balance is as important as the pay rate. The newly agile enterprise will recognize that fact and provide responsive accommodations that will attract and keep the best talent on their rosters. Businesses that can adapt their practices to harness the possibility of this new, fluid labor force should see an opportunity to thrive long into the future.

The COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve, and how society will look in its aftermath remains to be seen. However, it is already compelling significant changes in how the world works. Companies that seek out and learn from those changes can position themselves to be ahead of the curve and prepared to commence operations when the crisis passes.

The Economic and Workforce Development department at Pasadena City College is tracking the changes that are occurring in the businesses and industries that make up its community. The School is looking forward to partnering with each of its corporate neighbors to provide the workforce they need to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.

Your beloved 4-day workweek would exclude half the American workforce

Pam Sornson, JD on November 21, 2019

There was just one problem, says elementary-school teacher Kallie Leyba: “Teachers can’t afford to ski.”

Colorado teachers like Leyba say they already work longer than 40 hours to get paperwork done, on top of receiving among the lowest statewide educator pay. Colorado’s shorter workweek hasn’t helped these major issues, says Leyba, who serves as president of the state’s American Federation of Teachers branch.

As the conversation around fewer work hours gets more traction, experts say at least three segments of the workforce — low-wage workers, teachers, and nurses — could be excluded from the benefits that a shorter workweek provides.

Teachers and nurses represent 6 million people; workers earning less than $15 represent 65 million people. Together, that’s nearly half the labor market.

“Very often when we think about life conflict and over work we have a vision of white-collar workers in mind,” says Daniel Schneider, a researcher at the Shift Project at the University of California at Berkeley. “It’s super important we bring in hourly workers into the conversation.”

As a whole, American workers have some of the worst work-life balance worldwide.

Workers in the US notoriously take less vacation and spend more time at work than employees in other developed countries, and the government doesn’t mandate guaranteed time off.

The lack of work-life balance could be contributing to a mental-health crisis. Over half of employees say their job is negatively affecting their mental health.

But burnout looks different for different workers. Research finds people who work irregular hours or the night shift have a 33% greater risk of experiencing depression on average. That’s why blue-collar workers, like construction workers and paramedics, have higher rates of suicide and depression than the general population.

Domestic workers — think house cleaners and nannies — typically work outside the 9-to-5 workday entirely, sometimes working 24/7, as in the case of live-in nannies. They get paid just $11 an hour, on average, meaning a shorter workweek “won’t cut it for them,” says Julie Kashen, senior policy adviser at the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

“It’s hard to even think about [shorter workweeks] without thinking about the need to increase wages and improve working conditions,” Kashen tells Business Insider.

Along with better work-life balance to prevent burnout, shorter workweeks might increase productivity.

Microsoft, for instance, found that reducing the workweek by one day led to a 40% boost in productivity. A buzzy Wall Street Journal article last month highlighted how employees at a German company got the same amount of work done after cutting three hours in a workday.

Yet the reality for low-wage workers is that they are already being worked to optimal productivity. Scheduling algorithms, such as Kronos, use AI to devise worker shifts around when to best meet a store’s demand. Companies increased use in these scheduling algorithms in the past decade, according to Adrian Haro, CEO of The Workers Lab.

The issue, however, with scheduling technology is that it gives little forewarning to hourly workers on what their daily schedules will look like. As many as 60% of hourly workers get less than two weeks’ notice of changes to their schedule, according to the University of California at Berkeley’s Shift Project.

Schneider, a researcher at the Shift Project, says hourly employees want to work more hours outside of just what these algorithms decide for them.

“The problem is, we do see people working a less-than-40-hour week, but they don’t like it. They want more hours because they’re paid hourly and not very much,” Schneider told Business Insider. “For these workers, there’s a clear time-money trade-off.”

For nearly half of workers, solutions for better work-life balance include higher pay, better staffing, and more fixed schedules — not a shorter workweek.

Leyba said that, as with teachers, nurses are often overworked. A recent report as many as half of nurses and doctors suffer from burnout.

Yet the burnout stems not from time on the job but the quality of work.

Many nurse advocates say working with too many patients is the root of the issue, and groups like Nurses Take DC and SEIU121RNhave lobbied for safer nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. So far, only California caps the number of patients a nurse can have at once, despite research that suggests fewer patients lead to higher-quality patient care.

Similarly, the National Union of Teachers found teachers with larger class sizes work the longest hours. Many teachers have gone on strike over the last few years, most recently in Chicago, protesting increasing class sizes and dwindling pay.

In the case of low-wage, hourly workers, a bill to give people better notice of schedules just got reintroduced into Congress by presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday.

Most experts agree a discussion around shorter workweeks is a good start, as it suggests — but Kashen says non-white-collar workers must be at the center of this discussion.

“White-collar workers are able to have a different conversation because they have more agency in the workplace, and they also have more resources and higher wages,” Kashen says. “If we can improve working conditions for the most vulnerable then that will really help everyone.”

Creating Success Stories One Student at a Time

Pam Sornson, JD on October 22, 2019

Located on the main campus just west of the quad, the Robert G. Freeman Center for Career and Completion offers a variety of workforce services, all conveniently housed under one roof. Established through a generous donation from philanthropists Molly Munger and Steve English, the newly renovated and expanded venue is organized around an open, welcoming community space set-up to facilitate interaction between students and staff.

Open to All

As Sharis Davoodi, Interim Director, noted, “The Freeman Center project provides a friendly, user-focused destination for career guidance while playing a pivotal role in promoting a more connected campus community.”
Bathed in natural light from multiple, north-facing windows, the facility offers an inviting, one-stop-shop for workforce exploration and preparation. With its 15 permanent, temporary, and rotating team members, the Center boasts a dedicated staff of counselors, advisors, and interns, all ready to assist students as they build a solid foundation for their futures. “Our job is to help students find their focus and become workforce-ready,” Davoodi says, “that’s why we offer so many different services.”

Resources for Students

And students certainly have options. They can schedule in-person meetings with counselors, access the online job board, which lists open internships and employment opportunities, or they can simply sign-up for a workshop.
“In just our first six months of operation, we’ve held over 95 workshops,” confirms Davoodi, enumerating recent offerings like Career Development, Networking, Interviewing and Resume Building.

“There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’,” she insists, “because every student who walks in here has unique needs that we want to address. Some are looking to choose a major, others a career, and still others want an internship or a seasonal job. Most are also here to learn how to write a resume or prepare for an interview.”

Just as there is no typical student need, there is no typical student persona either. As Davoodi points out: “we help students from all walks of life, everyone from veterans to the disabled, or those looking to re-enter the workforce after an extended absence, like single moms or the formerly incarcerated.”

Recalling one recent success story, Davoodi detailed the dilemma facing a stay-at-home mom who was ready to go back to work but was worried about the employment gap on her resume. “We helped her fill it in with all the volunteer work she had done plus other activities relevant to her career track.” With a newly revised and revamped resume in hand, it wasn’t long after that that the single-mom landed her first real job offer in more than a decade.

Every Student is Unique

Since every case is unique, center staffers make a point of first conducting a comprehensive online assessment to identify student likes and dislikes, interests, and personality traits. With that information, they can better steer students in the right direction, match them to the right career path, and quickly make course corrections, if need be. “We’re here to give students a different perspective on things,” says Davoodi. “We help them build confidence by teaching them how to ask the right questions, so it’s imperative that we get to know who they are from the get-go.”

On top of everything else they do, the staff at the Freeman Center also hosts job fairs where employers can offer real opportunities in real-time, helping hundreds of students find employment within a matter of hours. “Job fairs help students weed out what they don’t want and learn how to zero in on what they’re truly passionate about,” says Davoodi. “Once they find that focus, that excitement, that sparkle in their eye… well, we thrive off of that ‘aha’ moment. That’s what we live for.”

Connecting Workers to Jobs

Pairing talented students with potential employers is, at its core, what the Robert G. Freeman Center is all about: building bridges between the classroom and the local business community. “A 30-minute appointment is all it takes,” Davoodi states proudly. “Give us 30-minutes, and we can help start you on a path into the professional world. That’s our challenge, our mission, and our joy.”