SLO County Office of Education: Future Careers Locally Grown

Future CareersLocally Grown

James

Brescia, Ed.D.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

Aquestion all Americans should ponder is how we guide the next generation. Community leaders hope for solid, decent, wellrounded young people who will value their families, strengthen their communities, and uphold the democratic values of our civil society. The future of humanity depends on success in fostering the next generations’ healthy intellectual development and curiosity. The students that live in our community today are the citizens, leaders, workers, and parents of tomorrow. If we invest wisely in these young people who are our greatest assets, the next generation will pay that investment back with productivity, civic engagement, and responsible citizenship. If we fail to invest in building a solid foundation, we put our future prosperity and our national security at risk. Tools for fostering engagement such as apprenticeships, internships, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and summer employment are programs that promote a path for today’s youth. The San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE) has fostered a partnership with the County of San Luis Obispo to boost youth employment, apprenticeships and expand our childcare workforce.

Apprenticeships are industry-driven, high-quality career pathways developed in partnership with 42 | pasoroblesmagazine.com

employers. These programs are often called internships, job awareness programs, or work experience. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, the Workforce Development Board, Cuesta College, and SLO Partners are all committed to making use of our American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to enhance and expand paid apprenticeships, on-thejob learning experiences, CTE, job mentorships, and employer accepted job certifications. Investment in these programs allows employers to recruit and develop a diverse and skilled workforce, improve profitability, minimize employee turnover, and create flexible training opportunities. Many apprentices, interns, and on-the-job learning participants become regular or seasonal employees. San Luis Obispo County employers report that these programs provide a pipeline of skilled employees, reduce recruiting costs, and better match employee skills with workplace needs.

The SLOCOE Ticket2Teach program inspires future Early Childhood Educators by providing tuition assistance while completing Cuesta College’s Associate of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE), guiding participants through the ECE permit process, and supporting access to pathways to advance employment. Applications for Ticket2Teach are online at ticket2teach.org. By leveraging existing SLOCOE programs, the funds provided by the Board of Supervisors support a collaborative consortium of local partners, including the SLO County Child Care Planning Council, CAPSLO Child Care Resource Connection, Quality Counts SLO County, First5 SLO County, and the We Are the Care Initiative. All partners are engaged in the shared development and implementation of this ARPA Child Care Funding Plan to support San Luis Obispo County in growing a skilled ECE workforce.

Our newly approved Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Services program is structured to provide pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in online and in-person formats serving disadvantaged populations who often lack capacity in school schedules or have dropped out of school. The SLOCOE Youth Services program facilitates in-school and out-of-school paid and unpaid work-based experiences in partnership with apprenticeship programs, Cuesta College, and adult education. Work-based learning opportunities, including apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship offered by SLOCOE and SLO Partners, assist students in developing soft skills, basic job skills, and work experience skills expected of applicants in highly competitive hiring processes seen among many San Luis Obispo County employers.

SLOCOE and SLO Partners have data-supported programs that serve students who are disabled, second-language speakers, disadvantaged, and under-represented in exploring career pathways. The collaborative efforts of our community provide space for employers across the county to facilitate career pathways. For example, although Pacific, Gas, and Electric (PG&E), the largest private employer in the area, represents a specific industry sector (Energy, Environment, and Utilities), the company employs workers in Informations Communications Technology (ICT), engineering, product design, and hospitality. In addition to providing workplace opportunities for students in multiple pathways and giving significant financial support each year to education, PG&E has a representative advising our workforce development programs.

The SLOCOE in-school and out-of-school programs also provide time for tutoring to ensure participants acquire the academic skills to compete successfully for apprenticeships and job placements. These partnerships foster sustainability by leveraging funds from SLOCOE, our CTE Foundation, employers, the Workforce Development Board, the California Department of Rehabilitation, the Adult Education Block Grant, First5, and the Extended Learning Opportunity Grant. I thank the Board of Supervisors, the Workforce Development Board, First5, CAPSLO, Cuesta College, SLO Partners, partner agencies, and local employers for investing in our next generation. As your county superintendent of schools, I am committed to promoting future locally grown careers. 