SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Community Chancellor’s Office will hold 11 “critical conversations” throughout the state over the next several weeks to discuss how the system’s limited resources can be used to bridge the skills gap and spur job creation by aligning community college workforce training programs with the state’s regional economies.

“The California Community Colleges system is answering the call of the nation, our state and our regions to close the skills gap by focusing on doing what matters for jobs and the economy,” said Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development Van Ton-Quinlivan. “These conversations will bring forth collaboration among educators with employers and the community that can catalyze getting Californians into open jobs and future careers.”

The first open forum will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Van de Kamp Innovation Campus, 2930 Fletcher Dr., Los Angeles. The community forum will be hosted by the Los Angeles Community College District.

“Vice Chancellor Ton-Quinlivan and her team have hit on what it will take to bring these relationships forward between business, our community and our colleges so every student, and therefore our state, will benefit,” Chancellor Jack Scott said. “Students in our Career Technical Education programs have historically shown better completion rates and their incomes grow rapidly once their new-found skills and talents are paired with businesses looking for skilled workers.”

The Workforce and Economic Development division collaborates with employers, organized labor, local communities, the community colleges and others on programs supported by a variety of state and federal funding sources.

Through its Doing What Matters for Jobs and Economy initiative, the division has refocused on regional sectors, taking effective workforce development practices to scale, and removing barriers to student completion.

To help close the job skills gap in our economy, the initiative embraces a four-pronged framework:

• Plan as a region for labor market needs around what matter most to jobs and the economy, including how and where programs will be delivered.
• Retool or remove programs that are not working or not meeting labor market needs to make room for those that will make a difference.
• Promote student success by adopting common accountability measures that follow student progression between high school, the community colleges, and into the workplace.
• Innovate for jobs and the economy by investing in highly specialized industry training and technical consulting that close the skills gap.

The division’s new Web site, www.doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu , details its strategic plan for becoming more responsive to the ever-changing and diverse regional economies in California.

A major feature on the Web site is a resource library full of useful reports, data and contact resources specific to 15 economic regions within the state. Each region also has labor market sector priorities as well as information on emerging industry sectors.

Career Technical Education instruction combines core academic coursework with technical and occupational knowledge to help get students through postsecondary education and into career pathways.

Of the 2.6 million students enrolled in California community colleges, approximately 56 percent are enrolled in CTE programs.

Critical Conversations Schedule – 2012

Note: dates, locations and times are subject to change. Check the new Web site for updates.

AUGUST

Aug. 21: Los Angeles Region, hosted by Los Angeles Community College District, The Van de Kamp Innovation Campus, 2930 Fletcher Dr., Los Angeles. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 6: Santa Cruz/Monterey Region, hosted by Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. Room 208. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Contact: Loyanne Flinn de Guaracha, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sept. 13: Los Angeles Region, hosted by Mt. San Antonio College. Contact: Bill Scroggins, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sept. 14: Inland Empire Region, hosted by the Inland Empire Consortium, San Bernardino Hilton, 285 E. Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino. Contact: Julie Pehkonen, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sept. 18: East Bay Region, hosted by Contra Costa Community College District, Contra Costa Community College District, 6th Floor Board Room, 500 Court St., Martinez. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Contact: Randy Tillery, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sept. 20: Central Valley/Mother Lode Regions, hosted by the Central Valley Consortium, 630 W 19th St., Merced. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Contact: Sue Clark, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sept. 25: Orange County Region, hosted by Coast Community College District. Contact: Andrea Serban, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

OCTOBER

Oct. 10: Orange County Region, hosted by San Ana College, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Trustees’ Board Room, 2323 North Broadway, Santa Ana. Room 107. Noon-3 p.m. Open Town Hall Meeting. Contact: Erlinda Martinez, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Oct. 18: Greater Sacramento-Northern Inland-Greater Coastal Regions, hosted by the North Far North Consortia, Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, 111 East Ocean Blvd. Long Beach. 10:15 a.m.-noon. Contact: Linda Zorn, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NOVEMBER

Nov. 1: San Diego/Imperial Region, hosted by Southwestern Community College District. Contact: Melinda Nish, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Economic and Workforce Development Summit, Chula Vista.

Nov. 2: Silicon Valley/Peninsula Regions, hosted by Foothill College and Cañada College. Contact: John Mummert, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Kay O’Neill, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , Los Altos.