Launching Pathways for Success

Recognizing that the business community needs a workforce prepared for a 21st century global economy, North Orange County Chamber (NOCC) has designed a multi-year initiative to build relationships between business professionals and educators to develop a highly qualified and well-educated workforce.This program has been developed in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education through the OC Pathways program and the North Orange County Community College District.

Named the Workforce Development Collaborative (WDC), the initiative launching during the 2017-18 academic year, provides the region an updated approach to educating focused on mounting strategic solutions for developing the next generation of global leaders. By doing so, we can ensure a highly skilled workforce equipped within industry-valued and recognized post-secondary credentials with established labor market value.

The NOC Chamber Members learning the importance of our local healthcare programs

Through the WDC, the Chamber is working with our partners to increase the quality of career technical education programs and to design pathways, credentials and certificates. By directly involving industry professionals in the training process, students enter the workforce ready to perform skills demanded by industry. In partnership with educators, the programs’ initial efforts will engage high school and first-year community college students in career awareness activities. These activities include:

• Engaging business professionals in the classroom

• Providing an executive for a day program for teachers and administrators

• Creating opportunities for student job shadowing

• Arranging site visits and tours of business

Focused on four valued sectors – Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering; Healthcare; Information Technology; and Hospitality and Tourism – the program engages regional partners in councils where they identify and work to close industry skill gaps through education and training. These councils are designed to help prepare a sustainable workforce able to adapt to the changing needs of the region. These partnerships are working to develop robust talent pipelines through education and training the current and future workforce. The program aims to develop the technical, academic and workplace skills needed to streamline talent to meet the business communities’ workforce needs.

The welding program at Fullerton College prepares students for jobs.

My recent tour of Fullerton College coordinated for the Workforce Development Collaborative helped me realize how the training provided at the community colleges could help me identify more prepared employees."

Cindy Ayloush, CEO/CFO of Hydraflow

Industry Professional Advisor for the Workforce Development Collaborative