The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District has been awarded a $3 million Career Technical Education Facilities Program (CTEFP) grant. The funds will be used to convert existing classroom and kitchen spaces into a state-of-the art culinary teaching and food production facility for students enrolled in the Restaurant Occupations program, equipping them with career-ready job skills.

The grant award is the result of several years of planning and the completion of an extensive grant application process.

Proposition 51, passed by state voters in November 2016, provided for $9 billion in bond sales for the purpose of funding public school modernization and new construction projects statewide. Of that amount, $500 million was designated, via a competitive grant process, for the construction and modernization of Career Technical Education (CTE) facilities as well as the purchasing of equipment. Requiring matching funds, the District’s vision for this grant began in 2016 after Santa Ynez Valley voters passed Measure K, a $14.7 million school facility bond that focused on a substantial overhaul of deteriorating campus infrastructure such as replacement of water, natural gas and sewer pipes, roofs, windows and electrical switch gear. Measure K funds were utilized as the match for the CTEFP grant. The redesign of the “pit” area in the center of campus, the new dining addition and the remodel of the cafeteria were all leveraged to create an event space area that was central to the success of the grant application. 

“This is an unbelievable opportunity. I’d like to thank valley voters for kickstarting the journey for us by approving Measure K,” SYVUHSD Superintendent Scott Cory said. “When this grant became available, I was really excited about the possibility that we could do even more for our students and community than what the voters approved. Any campus facility improvements should result in improved instruction and learning for our students. With that in mind, this project hits a home run.”

Career Technical Education, as defined by the California Department of Education, is “a program of study that involves a multiyear sequence of courses that integrates core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge to provide students with a pathway to postsecondary education and careers.” The program of study that is the focus of this grant centers around restaurant occupations, hospitality, tourism and recreation, including catering and event planning. All of these are a natural match with the Santa Ynez Valley’s economy.  

This grant process involved a tremendous number of community supporters, 21 in all were formally included in the application, including many private businesses, valley junior high school districts, the Santa Barbara County Education Office and Santa Barbara City and Allan Hancock colleges.  

“CTE programs have been a source of pride for our district and a cornerstone of our course offerings for decades,” Cory said. “Funding has come and gone, but it has remained a priority in our budget and through annual grant writing efforts. These funds will help us to usher in the next generation of CTE instruction and training for our students and provide them with the skills they need to successfully enter the workforce with so much more than just entry-level skills.” 

Planning is already underway for a gut and remodel of the existing kitchen, classroom and dining lounge, turning them into a world-class culinary teaching facility. As a nod to signature cuisine of the valley, a professional barbecue is also included in the preliminary design. Plans for the new facility must be completed a year from now and construction will begin soon thereafter.

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Medical assistants can improve their job skills and job prospects by completing a fast-track class offered this summer at Hancock College. The eight-week class, Success in Medical Assisting Practice (MA 379A), meets Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. from June 14 through Aug. 2.

“The course is designed to prepare new graduates and experienced medical assistants to successfully complete California Medical Board-approved certification exams,” said Gerri Osuna, a medical assisting instructor. “The class will benefit new and experienced medical assistants because students will enhance their employability and professional skills in just eight weeks.”

Registration remains open until June 13, which is the day before the class begins. Early registration is recommended to reserve a place.

All students register online via myHancock, which is accessed from the college’s website at www.hancockcollege.edu; in the menu, select Students, then Registration/Add/Drop, located in the Registration section.

All California residents pay a $46 per credit enrollment fee. Fees for the summer semester are due at the time of registration.

For more information contact the health sciences department at 805-922-6966, ext. 3384, or healthsciences@hancockcollege.edu.

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The importance of career education took center stage Thursday in the State Capitol in Sacramento as California Community Colleges launched a new campaign to promote career education as an affordable and accessible pathway to a career. Allan Hancock College offers more than 100 career education programs that offer hands-on training to help students land in-demand jobs.

The launch event, held at the State Capitol in Sacramento, included a press conference with state policymakers and higher education leaders, including Eloy Ortiz Oakley, California Community Colleges chancellor. The event targeted prospective students, both high school students and adults, who want to gain new skills, as well as parents, counselors and employers.

“Today the California Community Colleges launched an important effort to let all Californians know about the robust Career Education programs we offer,” said Oakley. “Our Career Education programs are the smartest, most affordable and accessible way for Californians to acquire the hands-on, high-quality skills they need to enter exciting, new and good-paying career fields – and to pursue the California Dream. Our system is one of inclusion and opportunity, and we’d like everyone to know about all we have to offer.”

The event also featured hands-on exhibits featuring a sampling of technology demonstrations affiliated with today’s Career Education programs including public safety, advanced manufacturing, retail, hospitality and tourism, nearly all of which are offered at Allan Hancock College.

The state campaign includes paid bilingual advertising for use via social and traditional media, multicultural outreach, local outreach events, online videos, and employer and stakeholder engagement.

The promotional campaign is an output of the Strong Workforce Program, a $200 million recurring investment made by Governor Jerry Brown and the California legislature to create one million more middle-skilled workers, thereby producing a job-ready workforce for employers and enabling social mobility for more Californians.

Although California is experiencing impressive economic growth, there is a widening gap between what employers need to continue that growth and what the state’s labor pool currently offers. The California Community Colleges launched this campaign because Career Education programs and apprenticeships provide important pathways for adults to boost their skills and for high school students to learn new skills for rewarding careers.

“Both adults and high school students hesitate to pursue higher education to gain new skills and refresh existing ones because they worry about student debt,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, Vice Chancellor of Workforce and Economic Development at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. “Career education offers a great pathway to increase earnings and make a living wage without that type of debt burden.”

Statewide, the median salary of a worker with an associate degree in a vocational career is $66,600 five years after completion (as compared to $38,500 for those with non-vocational associate degrees).

Last year, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office released a new student performance measurement that showed the benefits of taking a career technical education course at Hancock. Students, who took career technical education courses at Hancock in order to enhance their professional skills and returned to the workforce within one year, saw an average median wage increase of $5,547. The largest median wage increases found among Hancock programs during the study were in dental assisting ($19,231); electrical engineering ($17,624); fire technology ($11,423) and emergency medical services ($9,808).

Registration for fall classes at Allan Hancock College is under way. Classes begin the week of August 21. Financial aid is still available. Visit the college’s website at www.hancockcollege.edu and click Class Search for the most up-to-the-minute information. For registration information, call (805) 922-6966 ext. 3248.

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