Donate
PPIC Logo Independent, objective, nonpartisan research

Search Results

Filters Sort by:
Report

Career Pathways and Economic Mobility at California’s Community Colleges

By Sarah Bohn, Jacob Jackson, Shannon McConville

Career education credentials from California’s community colleges can help students advance in the labor market. But some programs offer larger economic returns than others, and it can take a long time for students to see increased earnings. Improving student outcomes—while also responding to future workforce needs—is a challenging but critical task facing the state.

Report

Improving Career Education Pathways into California’s Workforce

By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Bonnie Brooks, Mina Dadgar

COVID-19 hit workers with less education hardest, underscoring the need for public investments in workforce training. In this report, we describe student pathways through career education programs at community colleges and discuss insights from stakeholder interviews on how to help more people complete programs and connect to quality jobs.

event

Health Career Pathways at California’s Community Colleges

About the Program
State policymakers looking to improve economic mobility and meet workforce needs have renewed their focus on career technical (or vocational) education. Health careers are of particular interest because many health jobs pay well and colleges already offer a wide range of programs and credentials. PPIC researcher Shannon McConville will outline findings from two new reports, and a panel of experts will talk about the role of the state’s community colleges in providing health training pathways and economic opportunities to a diverse group of Californians.

This research was supported with funding from the ECMC Foundation and the Sutton Family Fund.

Please register in advance. There is no charge to attend, but space is limited. Lunch will be provided.

Report

Health Training Pathways at California’s Community Colleges

By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Landon Gibson

State and federal policymakers looking to improve economic mobility and meet workforce needs have renewed their focus on career technical education. Health training is of particular interest—California’s community colleges offer a range of health programs and credentials and demand is growing for health workers with some college training. Students who earn shorter-term health credentials tend to see relatively low wage gains, and relatively few return to school to pursue higher-level training. Targeted outreach and support could help more students move along pathways to higher earnings.

This research was supported with funding from the ECMC Foundation and the Sutton Family Fund.

Report

Improving College Pathways in California

By Niu Gao, Hans Johnson

Far too many California students are falling off the pathway to and through college. At current rates of high school and college completion, only about 30 percent of California 9th graders will earn a bachelor’s degree, a rate that is insufficient for an economy that increasingly demands more highly educated workers.

Report

Stackable Credentials in Career Education at California Community Colleges

By Sarah Bohn, Shannon McConville

California is investing in career education programs at its community colleges. Stackable credentials are a key component—students who “stack” multiple, related awards can build skills and increase earnings over time. We need to know more about how well-designed stackable credential programs help students succeed.

blog post

Community Colleges and Career Technical Education

By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn

It is crucial to understand the ability of California’s community colleges to effectively train a diverse health-care workforce for the jobs of the future.

Search results are limited to 100 items. Please use the Refine Results tool if you are not finding what you are looking for.