FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 20, 2016
CONTACT: Nina Smith, Nina.Smith@YoungInvincibles.org, 301-717-9006
App Launches Linking Inland Empire College Programs with In-Demand Jobs to Strengthen California Workforce
[RIVERSIDE, CA] – Today, at Riverside City College, Young Invincibles, The Foundation for California Community Colleges and The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office are hosting an event to mark the official launch of Here to Career, a new mobile application aimed at increasing access to data-driven college and career planning in the Inland Empire.
By 2017, the Inland Empire is projected to see a growth of 92,499 jobs. This projected increase could greatly reduce the poverty and unemployment rates in the region, but this reduction is reliant on ensuring residents developing specific in-demand skills, which can be gained through completing certification and degree programs aligned with high-growth industries in the region.
“Higher education is a major investment, and we know that students cite better employment as their primary motivator for a obtaining a postsecondary degree. To help students make more informed decisions we need to provide information on which kinds of programs lead to which kinds of jobs, to get young adults on the path to stable careers and ultimately financial security,” said Gustavo Herrera, West Coast Director of Young Invincibles.
The app provides students, guidance counselors, and parents with an opportunity to learn more about community college programs and how they align with high-demand career opportunities in the Inland Empire region of California. Specifically, the Here to Career mobile app features:
- The Career Exploration Quiz gathers students’ job preferences to provide personalized career interest recommendations.
- Salary Surfer data displays real salaries that workers can earn for in-demand jobs in the region.
- Geolocation capabilities use students’ GPS to locate nearby community colleges that offer the programs they need.
- App matches students with career profiles of real Inland Empire community college alumni and provides inspiration for students to think creatively about their career path.
“I am honored to join Young Invincibles and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, in the launch of the new “Here to Career” application. This will give Californians the opportunity to explore and research career pathways and educational information regarding their local community colleges. Through this mobile technology, students will have opportunities at their fingertips, which can ultimately lead to future economic and professional success,” said Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside), Chair of the California State Assembly Higher Education Committee.
Development of this tool results from a collaboration between Young Invincibles, The Foundation for California Community Colleges and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, and was made possible by funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
“We continue to explore added ways to reach students and their families and have them explore the range of possible career and higher education options to build skills that employers want. Some of these fields did not exist a decade ago and students will need the right credential to break into those jobs,” stated Van Ton-Quinlivan, Vice Chancellor of Workforce & Economic Development of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
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About the California Community Colleges
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation. It is composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community Colleges supply workforce training, basic skills courses in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy, and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. | www.cccco.edu
About the Foundation for California Community Colleges
The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the official nonprofit foundation to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and Chancellor’s Office. The Foundation’s mission is to benefit, support, and enhance the missions of the California Community Colleges system, the largest higher education system in the nation. Incorporated in 1998, the Foundation works with community colleges and partner organizations to manage donations, grants, programs, and services that drive excellence in education. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit corporation and receives no direct state or public support. | www.foundationccc.org
About Young Invincibles
Young Invincibles is a national organization, working to elevate the voices of young adults, ages 18 to 34, and to engage them on the most pressing issues facing their generation. Young Invincibles guarantees that young adults are represented in today’s top societal debates through cutting-edge policy research and analysis, and innovative campaigns that educate, inform and mobilize the Millennial generation to change the status quo. | www.younginvincibles.org
About YI Advisors
YI Advisors is the consulting arm of Young Invincibles that harnesses millennial engagement expertise to deliver strategic guidance on how to best reach and build enthusiasm among diverse young adult populations. | www.yiadvisors.com
About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. | www.wkkf.org