Gavilan College has received nearly $1 million from the California Strong Workforce Program for the upcoming academic year to expand Career Technical Education (CTE) programs leading to high-demand, high-wage jobs in the region.
The California Strong Workforce goal is to create one million more middle-skilled workers through a partnership with the state’s 113 community colleges. At Gavilan College, almost $1 million in funding will help develop new training programs in high-demand career fields.
A task force at the college, convened at Gavilan Superintendent/President Dr. Kathleen Rose’s request, recommended new training programs in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and hospitality, along with a pilot project in phlebotomy.
“The funds are tied to metrics that must be met,” said Sherrean Carr, CTE dean, “and can go up or down based on the metrics and meeting them.”
Gavilan College received $639,000 directly and $308,— for regional projects.The funding is allocated based on job openings, unemployed adults and CTE full-time equivalent students.The college has a 26% percent enrollment of CTE students with an overall 80 percent success rate. Each year, the number of certificates and degrees awarded has increased, from 382 in 2014 to 403 in 2016.
Drone classes coming to San Martin Airport
The UAS classes will be held at the college’s newly-opened airport hangar and facilities at San Martin Airport. Four classes are in various stages of development:
- Introduction to UAS
- UAS maintenance technician
- Aerial photography and videography
- UAS flight operations and pilot certification
Trending careers in the hospitality industry
In the fall of 2016, CTE staff invited business leaders in the hospitality field from the region. Meeting twice, the group brainstormed some of the challenges they face with hiring, training and industry trends. After breaking into small groups and then reporting back out, the professionals provided background data for the development of new CTE hospitality courses.
“Four classes in hospitality are in the final stages of development,” said Carr. The college plans to offer them beginning in Summer and Fall 2017 semesters.
- Introduction to hospitality and tourism management
- Sanitary practices in the hospitality industry
- Customer service in the multicultural workplace
- Restaurant and banquet operations
In addition to classes, the college will work with area businesses to develop internship opportunities for students in the hospitality courses.
Gavilan will renovate space and acquire equipment for the HVAC classes. The curriculum for the pilot project in phlebotomy has been submitted to the state for approval.
The college is recruiting faculty to teach the HVAC and UAS classes. People interested can contact scarr@gavilan.edu for more information. Minimum qualifications are an AA degree and six years experience in the related field.