January 10, 2025
Contact: Melissa Villarin
Office: 916-327-5365
Office E-mail: MVillarin@CCCCO.edu
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian today issued the following statement on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025-26 state budget proposal:
“By focusing on fiscal stability and career-oriented investments, Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget charts a course to lift low-wage workers into living-wage jobs, a core focus of the California Community Colleges’ Vision 2030. The Governor’s proposed budget prioritizes unlocking the income potential of California’s students and working learners in alignment with the Master Plan for Career Education. It supports the creation of a data analytics engine to proactively seek out and equip underemployed adults with advising services, career development, and employer-backed competencies. It bridges the divide between industry-valued skills and college completion through credit for prior learning, accelerating the transition from education to earning. It builds a strong foundation of success for justice-involved Californians, which will contribute to a more inclusive higher education landscape and diverse workforce. We thank Governor Newsom for supporting the priorities of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, for the proposed investments for expanding access to seamless career pathways at scale and with equity for low-income Californians and look forward to collaborating with the administration and legislative leaders during the upcoming budget process.”
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision 2030, a strategic plan designed to improve student success, our communities and our planet. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
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