PALM DESERT — Thirteen Career Education programs at College of the Desert have recognized for their outstanding workforce outcomes, including helping boost students’ earnings.

The 2018 Strong Workforce Stars were awarded to Career Education programs at community colleges throughout the state to focus on 12 industry sectors whose graduates have illustrated significant gains in factors important for advancing social mobility – a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage, and a job closely matched with the field of study.

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office made the awards.

“We’re extremely proud of the success of our Career Education graduates at the College and are honored to receive the Chancellor’s recognition,” College of the Desert Superintendent/President Joel L. Kinnamon said in a prepared statement. “We know that education and training are the keys to a job, career and a better life for our students. And we’re here to help them succeed.”

The Chancellor’s Office awarded three levels of stars: Gold Stars met all three of the threshold outcomes; Silver Stars met two; and Bronze met one.

College of the Desert received one gold star; five silver stars; and seven bronze stars. They are as follows:

GOLD STAR

Registered Nursing: 131 percent increase in earnings, 92 percent of students attained the regional living wage, and 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

The Registered Nursing program continues to see success. All of the 21 Registered Nursing students from College of the Desert’s fall class who took the National Exam have passed it. The national average is 88%, so 100 percent is phenomenal.

SILVER STARS

  • Vocational Nursing: 96 percent increase in earnings and 100 percent of students attained the regional living wage
  • Early Childhood Education: 68 percent increase in earnings and 100% of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
  • ECE: Teacher: 68 percent increase in earnings and 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
  • Environmental Horticulture: 51 percent increase in earnings and 76 percent of students attained the regional living wage
  • Business Administration: 75 percent of students attained the regional living wage and 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

BRONZE STARS

  • Business and Commerce, General: 71 percent increase in earnings
  • Accounting: 51 percent increase in earnings
  • Drafting Technology: 82 percent of students attained the regional living wage
  • Alcohol and Controlled Substances: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
  • Computer Graphics and Digital Imagery: 86 percent increase in earnings
  • Police Academy: 71 percent of students attained the regional living wage
  • Culinary Arts: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

“Strong Workforce Stars Career Education programs are proven to help Californians increase their earning power,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, executive vice chancellor for Workforce & Digital Futures, in a prepared statement. “With the introduction of levels this year, we are able to highlight those programs that are seeing significant results, as well as those that are on the rise toward even greater success.”

Those who received Strong Workforce Stars met one or more of the following thresholds in the respective academic years:

  • 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.
  • Atainment 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.
    90 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.

Strong Workforce Stars is part of the Strong Workforce Program, an annual recurring investment of $200 million to spur career education in the nation’s largest workforce development system of 114 colleges.

The Strong Workforce Program’s policy specifies that one-sixth of the dollars be allocated based on contribution to student success outcomes rather than the traditional approach of student enrollment, and Strong Workforce Stars is one way to measure that goal.