Posted: July 5, 2018Written by: Lauren Milbourne

Tags: 2018, featured, press release

Recently, Cuesta College was honored for its Career Technical Education program successes with multiple 2018 Strong Workforce Star recognitions. The CA Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office analyzed college programs throughout the state whose students showed significant gains in factors important in building a skilled workforce, for advancing personal social mobility via a substantial increase in earnings and attainment of a living wage, and for placement in a job closely matched with the field of study.

More specifically, the three metrics are:

  1. At least 70% of students attained regional living wage
  2. Students experienced an increase in income of 50% or more, and/or
  3. At least 90% of students secured employment in their field of study

The following 16 Cuesta College Career Technical Education programs were recognized as 2018 Strong Workforce Stars:

Gold Stars (attained threshold outcomes on all three metrics)
  • Registered Nursing: 136% increase in earnings, 84% of students attained the regional living wage and 100% of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
  • Psychiatric Technician: 245% increase in earnings, 86% of students attained the regional living wage and 100% of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
Silver Stars (attained threshold outcomes on two metrics)
  • Licensed Vocational Nursing: 135% increase in earnings and 82% of students attained the regional living wage
  • Electronics Technology: 61% increase in earnings and 77% of students attained the regional living wage
  • Paralegal: 53% increase in earnings and 73% of students attained the regional living wage
Bronze Stars (attained threshold outcomes on one metric)
  • Medical Assisting: 158% increase in earnings
  • Paramedic: 95% of students attained the regional living wage
  • Computer Information Systems: 88% increase in earnings
  • Construction Crafts Technology: 81% increase in earnings
  • Computer Infrastructure and Support: 80% increase in earnings
  • Radio and Television: 73% increase in earnings
  • Nutrition, Foods, and Culinary Arts: 69% increase in earnings
  • Administration of Justice: 69% increase in earnings
  • Child Development-Early Care and Education: 61% increase in earnings
  • Accounting: 51% increase in earnings
  • Family Studies: 51% increase in earnings

 

“Our Career Technical Education programs are top notch, and these Strong Workforce Star awards reflect just that,” says Dean of Workforce and Economic Development Dr. John Cascamo. “Our hands-on approach, state-of-the-art simulation labs, excellent faculty, and industry partnerships make our programs sought after by students, and in turn our students continually sought out by employers.”

Cuesta College’s Career Technical Educational programs provide the training and skills that today’s students need for the current job market. Courses are taught by instructors and professionals who work in the field of study. For more information on the degrees and certificates offered by Cuesta’s Career Technical Educational programs, click here.

All 2018 Strong Workforce Stars can be viewed in the Workforce Recognition eShowcase on the California Community Colleges’ Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy website. The California Community Colleges is the state’s primary system for delivering career education, which is at the center of a statewide effort to produce one million middle-skilled workers by 2026, helping to lift low-wage workers into living-wage jobs and fueling regions with skilled workers needed by employers.