First Ever Graduate of CA High School Youth Apprenticeship Program at San Joaquin County Office of Education
Roxana Teran
Youth Apprenticeship Outreach and Education Analyst
The spotlight turns to Ripon, California where the administrators have paved the way for the first high school youth apprentice to complete a state registered apprenticeship program in California. This achievement is a testament to the vision of the San Joaquin County Office of Education in partnership with the DAS to transform a traditional apprenticeship model to become an innovative tool that meets the needs of a highly skilled workforce in California.
Many gathered on Wednesday, October 11th to celebrate this achievement including the apprentices’ mother, former teachers, school principals, the Superintendent of Schools, San Joaquin Delta Community College, the Department of Labor and the DAS representatives, Chief Eric Rood and Deputy Chief Adele Burnes. They gathered to recognize the profound impact of the IT Apprenticeship program for this student but also for many more that are to come. This occasion highlighted the exceptional accomplishments of the San Joaquin County Office of Education in shaping the future of students and the community.
Many attributed the success of the program as a team effort as they all worked together to create a new program and opportunity for youth. One team member stated, "having monthly meetings so we could have conversations between the employers, (the high schools) the county office of education, DAS and Delta College, and talking about the needs of the students and making sure these needs (and requirements) are met” said, Danell Hepworth, Dean of CTE and Workforce development at Delta College.
San Joaquin County Office of Education received the California Apprenticeship Initiative Grant ( CAI Grant) from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office that allowed them to build out this youth apprenticeship program in the occupation of Information Technology Support Specialist. San Joaquin Office of Education and Delta College are continuing to build out programs in various occupations including : IT Support Specialist, Home Health Aides/CNA, Logistics – Warehouse Poduction, Planning and Expediting Clerks, Classroom Aides/Para-professionals, Assistant Farm Manager, Marketing and Hospitality and more!
This accomplishment stands as a testament to the transformative impact of apprenticeships in our education system. This is a demonstration of how our schools can meet their own talent needs, while creating earn and learn pathways for their own students, all in partnership with workforce partners and community colleges. Learn more about this apprenticeship program via the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) College and Career Readiness website College and Career Readiness (sjcoe.org)
