Programs Lauded as Workforce Stars
August 17, 2017 - 11:39 AM
Mt. SAC’s veterinary technician and histotechnician programs recently received statewide recognition for being named as California Community College Strong Workforce Stars for the programs’ success in improving student employment and wages.
Strong Workforce Stars is a new recognition for career education programs at California Community Colleges whose graduates have shown significant employment-related gains, including increased earnings, attainment of a living wage, and employment that closely matches a student’s field of study.
“Every year, between 500 and 600 students express an interest our in very popular veterinary technician program,” said Mt. SAC Natural Sciences Dean Matthew Judd. “The program graduates between 25 and 45 students a year, and 88 percent of those students pass the licensing exam.”
Through the veterinary technician program, students go on to find employment in veterinary clinics. The program is highly successful because of the high demand in this field. One hundred percent of students who complete the program at Mt SAC find employment in their field of study.
Likewise, 100 percent of students in Mt. SAC’s histotechnician program find employment in their field of study. The histotechnician program trains students in the life science/biotech field to work in labs, preparing tissues for examination through staining and slide creation. The program fulfills a specific need in the biotech industry and is the only public school of its kind on the west coast.
To be recognized as a Strong Workforce Star, a program must significantly improve students’ employment possibilities after the students leave the California Community College system, including at least a 50 percent increase in earnings, or have 70 percent or more of students earning a living wage, or have 90 percent or more of students in a particular program obtain employment in their field of study.
The workforce recognition grew from the California Community Colleges’ Doing What Matters for Jobs and Economy framework and its Strong Workforce Program. California is investing $200 million annually to spur additional and improved career education programs throughout its 113 community colleges.
