Workforce Development - Finding Opportunities to Better Serve Students

The San Diego Community College District plays a key role in providing workforce training for the San Diego region. To fulfill that role, the District is offering innovative programs such as a new cybersecurity baccalaureate, teaching high school students to become certified nursing assistants, and training arborists who will help prevent wildfires. The effect on the region is clear: The District’s career education programs have as much economic impact as hosting four Super Bowls.

• San Diego City College secured approval from the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to offer a bachelor’s degree in Cyber Defense and Analysis. The program is expected to launch in fall 2024. It is the first time that City College will offer a bachelor’s degree program and makes it the second college in the District to offer a baccalaureate program. San Diego Mesa College began offering a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management in 2015, part of a pilot program for California community colleges. San Diego Miramar College has submitted a proposal for a bachelor’s degree program in Public Safety Management.

• A study found that the economic impact on the region of the career education programs at the District totaled $1.6 billion. The economic impact ranges from training students for higher-paying jobs to the employees and services that the District utilizes to provide its programs. The study found that the added income of the District’s career education programs supported more than 19,000 jobs in the region. The study, by Lightcast, a labor market data company, focused on the 300 career education and certificate programs offered at the colleges. More than 28,000 students take credit career education courses and nearly 8,000 take non-credit career education courses. The study found that every dollar students invest in their education has a return of $6.20 in increased lifetime earnings — an annual rate of return of 23.5%.

• Students at two San Diego Unified School District high schools are now able to train as certified nursing assistants through San Diego College of Continuing Education. The program is open to students at San Diego High School’s MedTech Academy and the School of Biomedical Science and Technology at Kearny High Educational Complex. The program allows students to become certified nursing assistants by the time they graduate high school and sets them on a career pathway to become a licensed vocational nurse or a registered nurse.

• San Diego Gas & Electric Co. awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant to San Diego College of Continuing Education Foundation to provide Arborist/Utility Line Clearance training. The tuition-free, five-week program trains students to become skilled arborists who can help prevent wildfires by clearing trees away from utility equipment and lines. The funding from SDG&E is one of the first partnerships between a California community college and a utility company to support curriculum as part of the company’s fire risk mitigation budget.

• The District is taking action to offer more paid internships to students so they can gain valuable work experience and build relationships. Many low-income students cannot afford to participate in an internship unless they are paid. The District is part of a regional collaborative for San Diego and Imperial counties that was awarded an $18.1 million grant to offer paid internships to community college students.

• Kay Faulconer Boger was named in the new role of Chancellor’s Liaison for Community Engagement. Boger is responsible for working with more than a dozen industry representatives on the District’s Corporate Council, which advises the SDCCD on issues regarding workforce education and training. The Council also helps ensure curriculum remains relevant and provides a means to maintain excellent relations between the District and its business partners. She previously served as acting president, acting vice president of instruction, and director of industry partnerships at College of Continuing Education.

We need to be upgraded and up to date with our technology in order to provide high-quality instruction to our students. We can support our students with access to the updates they need in order to support the workforce.

- ARMIN RASHVAND, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION, SAN DIEGO COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION

In his role as College of Continuing Education Strong Workforce coordinator, Armin Rashvand is responsible for coordinating state and federal grants that promote workforce training. The college offers short-term courses so that students can quickly obtain the skills they need for a job. He’s excited about the many innovative courses that are offered, such as a program linking English as a Second Language learners with the healthcare program to assist them with finding jobs in the field.