CTE programs earn recognition from Chancellor's Office
The Strong Workforce Stars program was launched in 2017 by the California Community Colleges System as an annual commendation for successful career technical education (CTE) programs at California's 114 community colleges.
CTE programs with students who have attained a living wage or gained a substantial increase in earnings, or who have found employment in a job closely matched with the student's field of study, are rewarded with gold, silver and bronze stars. To earn a silver star, a program must meet one of the two requirements listed above; to receive a gold star, a program must meet all three requirements.
Citrus College earned 14 Strong Workforce Stars in the March 2018 Strong Workforce Stars report, published by the California Community Chancellor's Office.
Among the winners were the child development and registered nursing programs, both of which received silver stars. Water and wastewater technology, a relatively new program at Citrus College, earned a bronze star for having 83 percent of its former students attain the regional wage. Other bronze winners included the diesel technology program, with 100 percent of its students gaining employment in an occupation related to their field of study, and technical theater, with students enjoying a 130 percent increase in earnings after having completed the program.
"I am immensely proud of our forward-looking CTE programs, which have paved a way for students to succeed and achieve upward mobility," said the college superintendent/president. "I am confident that our college will continue to equip students with the skills needed to thrive in the future, even as industries evolve at a rapid pace. Undoubtedly, gold stars are on the way for our innovative CTE programs."
This article originally appeared in the June 2018 edition of the Citrus View.