California has been facing a shortage of educated workers. Some recent economic forecasts from now to 2030 suggest that 2 in 5 jobs will require at least a bachelor’s degree; however, the demographic predictions suggest that only about 1 in 3 Californians will achieve this high level of education. In an effort to close this gap, all higher education systems must contribute to increasing access, transfer, and completion of education, and one of the most essential ways to reduce this skills gap is by making sure that higher education is accessible to low-income students, first-generation college students, and minority students.

As important as the access to the higher education is, one important aspect that can pave the way to a decreased workforce skills gap is transferring. Only about 40% of recent high school graduates who go on to attend a community college will actually end up transferring to a four-year institution. In an effort to improve student outcomes the community colleges have established new goals for transfer that align with the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) target goals. One of their goals includes a 35% increase in the number of transfer students at UC and CSU, increasing from about 72,000 combined in 2015 to almost 100,000 by 2020.

Two years into PPIC’s projections, it seems that both UC and CSU have met some of the goals for closing the gap. However, there is still much improvement that needs to be done, so here are three recommendations from the PPIC to continue moving forward:

1. The state should work with the UC and CSU systems to ensure that students who are eligible to transfer can effectively make the transition. Many times students that apply for a transfer are not admitted due to the insufficient resources at UC and CSU.
2. The path from community college to UC or CSU needs to become systematically and comprehensively streamlined. Those who earn an Associate Degree for transfer (ADT) are guaranteed admission to CSU in a major associated to their course of study. However, many students run into the complications of not being able to find their degree of study at a CSU. Some majors have no ADT at all, and to make things even harder, UC does not formally participate in the ADT guarantee, and the transfer admission requirements vary by campus and the majors within the different campuses.
3. The state and the higher education institutions need to plan for increases in the number of community college students prepared to transfer. Since most community colleges hold the promise of persistence and completion of the degree, it provides students with the support to want to achieve further education. However, because most of the transfers enroll in CSU or UC, capacity issues at these institutions must also be considered.

Overall, through thoughtful planning and additional funding closing the workforce skills gap can be achieved. Because community colleges represent California’s economic and demographic diversity, being able to improve transfer pathways helps ensure that more low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students have access to a four-year degree that can later benefit them in closing the gap and attaining jobs.

 

Source: http://www.ppic.org/blog/testimony-transfer-key-closing-workforce-skills-gap/

Are you interested in entering the hospitality industry but not sure how to begin? Well, look no further because the Marriott International Voyage Program offers college students an amazing opportunity to dive into the industry.

Voyage is a 12-18 month leadership development program designed to offer a foundation of development, resources and support for future leaders. The program curriculum combines hands-on training at a Marriott managed hotel with online leadership. Through social collaboration tools, Voyagers have the opportunity to network with their associates around the globe and engage with senior Marriott executives via an Executive Leadership Speaker Series.

Sushant Dewan, a Voyager in Sales & Marketing in Pune Chakan states, “The Voyage program kick starts the careers of recent university graduates, promising a bright future in hospitality. I am privileged to work in an environment that encourages teamwork and is supportive and inspiring.”

With this program, college graduates will immerse themselves in Marriott’s culture, which is built on the principles that others always come first, all while aiming to achieve excellence.

In fact, Marriott’s Voyage Program received the top award at the 2015 WhatWorks® Award Program at Bersin by Deloitte’s annual research conference, IMPACT 2015. Here, the company was praised for developing a program that provides amazing training to future entry-level leaders.

To learn more about the program and how to apply click the button below! 

 

Source: http://news.marriott.com/2015/06/marriott-voyage-program-receives-top-honors-at-impact-2015-conference/

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) recently announced a pilot program to offer degree courses to hotel industry employees in partnership with Pearson’s AcceleratED Pathways program. Ten hotel companies will engage employees across 1,500 hotel properties, giving them the opportunity to pursue higher education at no cost.

This program sounds to be promising due to its unique model of offering jobs and career paths that do not require a college degree, but rather require skills. In fact, many global C-Suite executives and hotel managers started their careers in entry-level positions. However, this program will offer a more personalized educational path that will enable skill development, including a high school GED, a cost-free Associate degree, or a low-cost Bachelor’s degree.

Those employees that complete a post-secondary education tend to earn more money over the span of their careers, have a greater opportunity for promotion and tend to stay longer at companies. With this new program and partnership, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Pearson’s hope to enable greater participation in assistance benefit programs, while offering employees personalized guidance, resources and support services to help students reach their goals.

For more details on the companies that will partake in the program…

CLICK HERE!

 

Source: https://www.ahla.com/press-release/hotel-industry-partners-pearson-offer-debt-free-college-degrees-employees

 

Success in the New Economy by Kevin Fleming (Citrus College)   
www.youtube.com

 

In the article, “The College Oversell Crisis” Lee Maxey, the CEO of MindMax, claims that many sectors of our U.S. economy today are overpitching receiving four-year degrees. The analytics software company, Burning Glass Technologies, discovered that 31 percent of postings for IT help desk roles required a bachelor’s degree. However, when comparing the skills necessary for positions requesting and not requesting a bachelor’s degree, the technical skills are the same.

Maxey expresses his aversion for this trend due to two reasons. First, he says, “[…] it devalues a postsecondary degree.” By this he means that the value of having either a four-year or two-year degree drops when employers require new hires to have these credentials, even though the worth of the credentials are beyond the needed skills to perform the job. His second reasoning is that, “[…] there is a needless barrier to entry for those with a high school diploma who are able to perform a job paying a living wage.” In other words, those with the skills needed to perform the job are not considered due to not having the degree and credentials that employers look for.

Though the U.S. Census Bureau shows that a two-year or four-year degree increases earning power, Maxey believes that these degrees are not the key of a pathway to happiness or self-worth. As tuition continues to rise, many individuals find themselves struggling trying to figure out where the money for college will come from. Likewise, others are even considering not even attending just to avoid the tremendous student debt in the end.

Maxey suggests that instead of viewing high school students as incapable we should, “[…] better understand their aptitudes and potential early on.” He agrees with Marc Tucker, president of the National Center on Education and the Economy, on the idea to make 10^th grade the starting target to prepare students in both college and career readiness.

In fact, many employers such as IBM are beginning to take less importance into the degree level of their new hires and employees. As long as the employee has the aptitude, flexibility and need for success, having or not having a degree will not be a factor to attaining the position. Furthermore, Maxey explains that with the help of American corporations, educators can begin to teach high school students the necessary technical skills to join America’s middle class without having to get an expensive degree.

Lee Maxey is the CEO of MindMax, a marketing and enrollment management services company. 
“The College Oversell Crisis”
March 5, 2018

http://www.clomedia.com

Back on January 8, 2015, former President Barack Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden joined Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee to announce a project to make community college free across the country. This has now caused a wave of College Promise programs to arise that deliver free tuition and student support in over 200 communities and states across the country. States like Rhode Island, Dallas, Milwaukee and recently California are all working toward making this happen.

In California, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 19, on October 13, 2017, which established the California College Promise and will allow colleges to make the first year tuition free for first-time, full-time California community college students. With this, several local colleges from our Los Angeles and Orange County regions have joined in to try and make paying for an education more affordable. Here are some colleges that already have a program that provide assistance:

• Coastline Community College: Coastline College Promise (2017)
• Santa Ana College: Adelante Promise (2011)
• Pasadena City College: The PCC Promise (2017)
• Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD): The Los Angeles College Promise (2017)
• Long Beach City College: The Long Beach College Promise (2008)
• El Camino College: South Bay Promise (2014)
• Cerritos College: Cerritos Complete (2016)

Now, you’re probably questioning whether a whole year of college will actually be FREE. Well technically it is, but, each of these colleges and districts have specific requirements that students need to meet in order to receive the free education along with other grants and perks. Some of these details, for example, require students to attend a community college right out of high school, or partake in certain amounts of community service hours per semester. With these programs, students are presented with the necessary resources to continue on their path to receiving a higher education, and that’s definitely something that we should all take interest in.

For more information on the specific proposed programs and how you can get involved, click on the link below.

http://collegepromise.org/

Let’s face it, trying to manage a school schedule in itself can get overwhelming at times. You have those days jam-packed with classes, homework, papers, extracurricular activities, and all you want to do is relax and binge on whatever new series is trending on Netflix. However, laying around and watching shows won’t suffice when it comes to paying the bills, so you go out and get a job.

Adding on another responsibility to your long list, now seems like an impossible challenge, but it’s definitely possible. Here are a few tips on achieving a balanced routine that will help you get your bills paid while also leaving room for some fun.

1. Ease into a work schedule. Debbie Kaylor, director of the Boise State University Career Center in Idaho, suggests that freshmen don’t work during their first semester in college. That is, however, if their current financial situation allows them not to. It’s essential that students use that time to get into the rhythm of how college works and figure out ways that work best for them to be successful. Not to mention, it’s also when you’re beginning to create your friend circles so hanging out with them seems to be a priority at the time.
2. Have a work schedule that works for you. Find a job that is flexible with your school schedule. School should always come first and there are many part-time jobs out there that will accommodate to your busy schedule. Positions in restaurants and retail stores are great places to start off in. They offer a variety of shifts that provide you with the opportunity to choose which one works best for you, so if you haven’t already, apply to these businesses first!
3.  Prioritize. Discipline is everything when trying to balance school, work, and a social life. Before you even take the new job, make a list to track all of your priorities along with leaving a reasonable amount of time for leisure. Then, see how you can incorporate your job into it. It’s really all about time-management and being disciplined and those are both qualities that can be learned over time.
4. Build a network. Having a wide range of people who you can turn to in times of need is advice that we’ve all received before. When applying this into the workforce, it’s important to stay in touch with various folks that you meet throughout your positions. You never know, they may actually introduce you to greater opportunities later on.
5. Sleep. Unfortunately adding extra shots to your coffee won’t be enough to keep you awake during that long-study period. When schedules fill up it, the first thing we sacrifice is sleep. But lacking sleep actually makes your tasks a lot harder to accomplish: your mental health, physical health, stress levels, and schedule are all affected. Be sure to schedule in your Zzz’s.
6. Talk. Talk to your employer to figure out when busy periods are more likely to occur, that way, you can avoid working on those big school assignments during that time. Also, show that you are committed and engaged by proposing ideas that you may think work better.  Many employers really value that so don’t be afraid to speak up.
7. Keep your eyes on the prize. Yes, juggling between school, work, and leisure time, all while trying to experience college in the best way possible is very difficult. However, remember why you’re doing it. You wouldn’t be tacking all these responsibilities if there wasn’t good reasons behind it. If others have managed to succeed in these situations, so can you!

 

Above all, remember to just breathe and take everything one step at a time. YOU GOT THIS!

Sources:

https://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2014/09/03/9-tips-for-managing-the-work-life-school-balance

https://www.snagajob.com/resources/work-school-schedules/

https://www.workitdaily.com/time-management-tips-work-school/

If you didn’t already know, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors gave approval in January of 2015 to 15 colleges to start developing their own bachelor’s degree programs in several unique fields of study. Which means that students will now have the opportunity to receive high-quality education in majors that are not offered by the University of California or California State University at much more affordable rates. The aim for these programs is to meet the demand for highly trained workers in technical fields such as dental hygiene, respiratory care, and automotive technology – which at one point only required two-year associate degrees, but now employers prefer and seek workers with a higher education.

The 15 community colleges that were approved for this pilot program are widely spread geographically across California and cover a wide range of rising technical fields. These colleges and their programs are:

• Antelope Valley College: Airframe Manufacturing Technology
• Bakersfield College: Industrial Automation
• Crafton Hills College: Emergency Services and Allied Health Systems
• Cypress College: Mortuary Science
• Feather River College: Equine Industry
• Foothill College & West Los Angeles College: Dental Hygiene
• MiraCosta College: Bio-manufacturing
• Modesto Junior College & Skyline College: Respiratory Care
• Rio Hondo College: Automotive Technology
• San Diego Mesa College & Shasta College: Health Information Management
• Santa Ana College: Occupational Studies
• Santa Monica College: Interaction Design

With this new program lower division coursework would cost $46 and upper-division coursework would cost about $84, making it an estimated total cost of $10,000 to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

This legislation will continue up to the 2022-23 school year, after which the Legislature and governor may decide to renew or not. Therefore, if there’s any program that may interest you, make sure to get informed as soon as possible to start your journey on receiving your Bachelor’s Degree!

For more information about the specific programs and colleges… CLICK HERE!

Hotels, motels, and other hospitality businesses used to be thought of as just a simple place where guests can rest their heads somewhere away from home. Throughout the past few years, however, we see that the role of technology in the hospitality industry has drastically expanded, making this simple stop much more accommodating and enjoyable.

In fact, these hospitality businesses are becoming hubs of activity which heavily rely on technology. Some new practices that have already started to surge in many places include using your phone as your room key and providing service automation. Not to mention, several are adding tech lounges and offering tech-enabled meeting spaces that will attract more guests.

With all of these recent advancements, here are some predictions of communication technology trends that may be more notable in 2018.

Sources:

http://www.mitel.com/blog/top-10-communication-tech-trends-hospitality

Who’s excited for the new Star Wars movie to come out this month? I know we are! Well did you know that George Lucas, the screenplay writer of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and many other works, is one of the most notable alumni of Modesto Junior College?

George Lucas was raised in Modesto, California on a walnut ranch with his father and three siblings. He attended Downey High School, during which he had an incredible interest in drag car racing and even planned to become a professional racecar driver himself. However, just after his high school graduation he was in a terrible car accident which quickly ended that dream forever. This event changed many of his former views on life and decided to attend Modesto Junior College before enrolling in the University of Southern California film school.

At Modesto Junior College he studied anthropology, sociology, and literature, amongst other subjects and began shooting with an 8 mm camera, which also included filming some car races. Once Lucas transferred to the University of California, School of Cinematic Arts he became a part of a young clique of film students known as The Dirty Dozen and later became good friends with fellow student filmmaker, Steven Spielberg. As a film student he created several short films. In 1967 he was awarded a scholarship by Warner Brothers to observe the making of Finian’s Rainbow, a film being directed by Francis Ford Coppola. From this, Lucas became really good friends with Coppola and just two years after meeting they formed a company together called American Zoetrope in 1969. However, the company didn’t last very long. Soon after, Coppola went into the production of The Godfather in 1971, and Lucas decided to create his own company, Lucasfilm Ltd.

In 1973 he wrote and directed American Graffiti, which won a Golden Globe and earned five Academy Award nominations. Not too long after, he began writing Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, which was the film that would change his life forever. After having several companies turn down his movie, Twentieth Century Fox gave him a chance and the movie went on to break all the box office records and received seven Academy Awards. Lucas then made the other Star Wars films and along with his old friend, Steven Spielberg, created the Indiana Jones series.

Today, Lucas works as a creative consultant on the Star Wars sequel trilogy which includes: Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and soon to reach theaters Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Sources:

http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/Newsroom/NotableAlumni/GeorgeLucas.aspx

Attention foodservice program students:
The California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF) scholarship. This is a renewable scholarship. Please encourage all of your students in a foodservice related program to apply. Deadline is this Friday, May 15. See link for details:http://www.calrest.org/craef-scholarship-qualifications-and-procedure.html

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The Guy Fieri Cooking With Kids Scholarship – $20,000 will be awarded to approximately 4–8 students. Deadline: May 31. See link for details: http://www.calrest.org/scholarships.html