FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IR # 96-20
Friday, May 17, 1996
CONTACT:
Louis Bonsignore
(415) 972-8835
Troy Swauger
(415) 972-8835
Pilot Monterey County Program
to Boost Apprenticeship in State
Salinas -- Students from five Monterey County high schools will be
some of the first in California to benefit from a pilot program designed
to fast track them into careers in the health care industry, announced Lloyd
W. Aubry Jr., director of the California Department of Industrial Relations.
The Department of Industrial Relations, working through its Division of
Apprenticeship Standards and in cooperation with Mission Trails Regional
Occupational Program, Seaside, King City, North Salinas, Alisal and North
Monterey County high schools, Hartell College and Monterey Peninsula College,
will kick off a unique program in Salinas today that will ultimately bring
apprenticeship programs into dozens of the state's high schools. With today's
signing of a memorandum of understanding between the school district, the
community college and the Department of Industrial Relations, Monterey County
becomes only the second School-to-Apprenticeship site in California. In
Monterey County the apprenticeship program will focus on the occupations
found in the health care industry, such as the nursing field, x-ray and
pharmacy technicians.
Called Schools to Career/Apprenticeships Program, the plan will provide
students with valuable knowledge about careers that await them in California
and allow them early entry into career paths with formalized training and
education. With the average age of apprentices statewide currently at 28
years, high school and community college students who successfully participate
in this program can expect to develop the skills that will make them eligible
for higher paying journey-level jobs at a much earlier age.
"This is a rare opportunity for our young people to have access to
career paths that were never open before," Director Aubry said. "What
we can do with this joint effort between our Division of Apprenticeship
Standards and dozens of schools is to open doors into several areas for
these students. This goal is now within reach here in Monterey County as
a result of the hard work and dedicated efforts from our partners."
The pilot is a by-product of Gov. Pete Wilson's School-to-Career program
developed by his task force last year. It will focus on building a health
care career for students from ninth-grade through completion of the career
path. While in high school, students start the program on a part-time basis.
Once finished with school they will move into their full-time apprenticeship
program.
Career path completion includes one or more of the following: Successful
completion of the apprenticeship program, completion of an Associate of
Arts degree and/or certificate from the community college, and/or completion
of a four-year college or university degree.
"The pilot program is the result of an eight-month planning schedule
by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards," Aubry said. "The
involvement of the Monterey County education system was launched nearly
four months ago. The regional occupational program has promised that its
strong employer linkage is a surefire avenue to the program's success."
Though there are no plans for any direct outlay of state funding of the
program, Division of Apprenticeship Standards will provide technical assistance
to the five local high schools' health academies to ensure the successful
completion of students involved in the program.
Subsequent launching of the Schools to Career/Apprenticeships Program are
scheduled for Auburn, Torrance, Stockton and Redding. The apprenticeship
programs will concentrate on the culinary, automotive repair, health care,
and manufacturing industries.
###