FOURTEEN CAREER EDUCATION PROGRAMS NAMED STRONG WORKFORCE STARS; NURSING RECEIVES A GOLD STAR

Riverside, CA – Riverside City College had 14 Career & Technical Education programs named as Workforce Stars by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, including the Nursing program which received a Gold Star.

The Workforce Stars program is a recognition program for career education programs whose students show significant gains in factors critical for advancing social mobility, including a substantial increase in earnings and the attainment of a living wage.

Programs can receive recognition at three levels —  Bronze, Silver and Gold. To be named a Strong Workforce Star, a program must meet one or more of the following thresholds:

• An increase in earnings by 50 percent or more, based on a match to the state wage file, for students who earned a certificate or degree and were last enrolled in 2015-16.
• Attainment of the regional living wage by 70 percent or more, based on a match to the state wage file, for students who earned a certificate or degree and were last enrolled in 2015-16.
• Ninety percent or more are employed in a job similar to their field of study, according to the Career Technical Education Outcomes Survey, for students who earned a certificate or degree and were last enrolled in 2014-15.

Below is a list of RCC programs that achieved outcomes to merit recognition:

GOLD STAR (attained threshold outcomes on three metrics)

• Registered Nursing: 174 percent increase in earnings, 87 percent of students attained the living wage, and 95 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

SILVER STAR (attained threshold outcomes on two metrics)

• Early Childhood Education: 69 percent increase in earnings and 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

BRONZE STARS (attained threshold outcomes on one metric)

• Welding Technology: 62 percent increase in earnings
• Automotive Technology: 85 percent increase in earnings
• Automotive Collision Repair: 137 percent increase in earnings
• Accounting: 77 percent of students attained the regional living wage
• Business Management: 59 percent increase in earnings
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship: 175 percent increase in earnings
• Environmental Control Technology: 90 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
• Licensed Vocational Nursing: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
• Digital Media: 98 percent increase in earnings
• Administration of Justice: 111 percent increase in earnings
• Culinary Arts: 85 percent increase in earnings
• Paralegal: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

“We are honored to have been recognized by the Strong Workforce Stars Program, Kristine Di Memmo, dean, Career & Technical Education, said. “These awards showcase the hard work our teams are doing to grow and promote RCC CTE programs, and we are thrilled that our students are reaping the benefits through additional gains in earnings and job placement.”

Districtwide, the Riverside Community College District colleges offer more than 120 CTE programs.