Background

On August 1, 2023, Chancellor Christian of the California Community Colleges held an organizational meeting with the California’s Secretary of Labor, Stewart Knox (a long-time avid supporter of community colleges) and with state government and college leaders. The meeting was to review and assess the potential of converting new and innovative apprenticeship experiences into the Apprenticeship Pathways Demonstration Project.

For this new initiative, targeted students will be those in emerging and priority industry sectors who are current apprentices, as well as those who have completed apprenticeships. Dr. Marvin Martinez, chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, has agreed to lead the project, which will include a first cohort of 25 of the existing 116 community colleges within the system.

This initiative seeks to:

  • Provide community college credit for apprenticeship classroom instruction and for prior learning experiences through credit for on-the-job training.
  • Encourage these apprentices to continue their educational journey in community colleges from pre-apprenticeship in enhanced noncredit earning a certificate on to credit programs offering associate degrees on to the new community college baccalaureate degree in career technical education or applied learning.
  • Invest in the State’s economic growth and global competitiveness through enhanced pathways for individuals participating in apprenticeship programs, particularly as an engine for economic and career mobility for low-income adults.
  • Expand diversity, equity, and inclusion by ensuring all students, regardless of race, age, economic status, or geography, gain exposure and confidence to pursue any degree pathway that aligns with their chosen apprenticeship field.

This initiative is intended to provide community college apprenticeship program students, with a direct path to credit certificates and degrees. Supporting students along their educational journey, while allowing them to earn wages and learn 21st-century skills, is how the California Community Colleges will contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty and give community college students, their families, and their communities the opportunity for true economic mobility.

Resources and Events

Letter of Intent Apprenticeship Pathways Demonstration Project