Columbia College will host several hundred high school students for the 19^th annual Occupational Olympics to be held on Friday, April 5, 2019. The contests will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with the award ceremony immediately following in the Dogwood Building.

Students from Tuolumne County will compete in seven separate events that challenge them to think critically in a contextual environment.  The events include automotive, cosmetology, digital photography, fire technology, hospitality management, forestry & natural resources, and welding.

Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, President of Columbia College says, “Exposing high school students to a college campus and challenging them to think critically is a fun way to prepare the future generation of college students. We are delighted to partner with the local high schools to host the program.”

Students from Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Mariposa County High Schools will be competing. The Superintendents from the participating high schools and the Columbia College President, Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay will be presenting the awards.

For more information, contact:

Columbia College

Career Technical Education & Economic Development

Office: 209.588.5142

http://gocolumbia.edu/career_technical

Columbia College has received an Intent to Award Notification for a $100,000 grant to support the expansion and improvement of the College’s programs serving currently and formerly incarcerated students. The grant is being awarded by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Division of Educational Services and has a performance period of two years, six months beginning on July 1, 2019 and ending on December 31, 2021.

Over the past four years Columbia College has worked closely with Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) to expand educational opportunities for incarcerated students. The college started with a small pilot program at SCC, providing a few face-to-face courses and academic and career counseling to 40 incarcerated students in the fall of 2015. Enrollment has since grown to approximately 300 students in the spring of 2019 at the main prison and four prison fire camps.

In addition to the fast-growing prison education program, Columbia College has also launched the Making Alternative Transformations (MAT) program, a complementary on-campus program designed to assist formerly incarcerated or justice involved students to transition to the campus and the community. The goal has been to provide high-quality higher education programs which are responsive to their unique needs, while providing additional services to support their efforts to reintegrate into their communities.

“Expanding educational opportunities to the incarcerated students is an area of focus for Columbia College. We have more than doubled the number of courses offered at Sierra Conservation Center during the last year, remarked Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, President of Columbia College. “Although the growth is impressive, there is still a large segment of the incarcerated population who do not have access to education. Having access to education helps the students prepare for life once they are free and helps reduce recidivism rate. We are delighted to have this grant that will enable us to expand our services further.”

Dr. Brandon Price, Dean of Student Services, will oversee the implementation of the grant.  He explained “This grant will enable the college to better meet the needs of the justice involved students we currently serve, while also enabling us to serve additional students from inmate firefighting camps, local jails, and day reporting agencies.”  Activities to be funded by the grant include: providing faculty and staff access to training related to the specific needs of justice-involved students; expanding transition services, such as college and career counseling; and expanding peer tutoring and mentoring programs serving justice involved students at SCC and on the Columbia College campus.

This award will allow Columbia College to continue build upon the framework of their Justice-Involved Student Reentry Program and provide necessary supports which will increase opportunity and access to currently and formerly incarcerated students, increase retention rates, support strong academic performance by program participants, promote informed and appropriate pathway goals and objectives, and build long-term and sustainable transition programs for justice-involved students in the area.

For more information, contact Brandon Price, Dean of Student Services at 209-588-5142.

Columbia College has received formal notification of the intent to award a 33-month grant to develop another new apprenticeship program in Forestry and Natural Resources, beginning in Fall 2019. Columbia College is currently implementing hospitality and child development apprenticeships as well as a fire science pre-apprenticeship with similar grant funding and is excited about expanding opportunities to other industries that are in need of a well-trained workforce.  Applications for the existing apprenticeship programs are still being accepted.

The new award, just announced by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Workforce and Development Division, is part of the California Apprenticeship Initiative, aimed at broadening the range of apprenticeship programs available to California workers through Prop 98 funding.

“Columbia College is strategically located in the Yosemite Valley where Fire and Forestry is a way of life”, said Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, President of Columbia College. “The recent increase in devastating fires across the state emphasizes the need for active forest management. With the well-established programs in Fire Science and Forestry, Columbia College is in a position to take a leadership role in Fire and Forest Management. This grant will help advance the apprenticeship programs tremendously”.

The grant will fund the development of the Columbia College Forestry and Natural Resources Apprenticeship, that will give up to 25 students the opportunity to “earn while they learn” at partnering Forestry and Natural Resource employers Greater Valley Conservation Corps and Sierra Resource Management. Designed with input from the sponsoring employers, the program is modeled on European apprenticeships, blending classroom instruction and on-the-job training in a compressed program. Apprentices will work as Forest Conservation Technicians and at the conclusion of the 18-month program will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Division of Apprenticeship Standards as well as a Skills Attainment Certificate from Columbia College in the Management and Restoration of Fire-Adapted Ecosystems. The grant funding covers all tuition, books, and related costs for apprentices while they attend Columbia College and the employers pay their wages.

The college will receive $500,000 over the two years and nine months to implement the curriculum, receive approval of the apprenticeships through the California Division of Apprentice Standards, enroll students, and launch the training at partnering work sites.

Along with the already-committed employer partners, the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools also expressed support.

Dr. Klaus Tenbergen, Dean of Career Technical Education and Economic Development, will oversee development and implementation of these new apprenticeships starting in late 2019. He enthuses, “Forestry and Natural Resources is one of Columbia College’s signature programs, and we are excited to expand local apprenticeship opportunities into this high-demand field. The California Apprenticeship Initiative continues to have a positive impact on our local workforce and economy.”

Apprentices will rotate through different professional areas at partnering sites over an 18-24 month period, receiving comprehensive training in a range of activities associated with each industry. Safety training and essential job skills will be incorporated throughout. Apprentices will complete a minimum of 2,000 hours of employer-paid on-the-job training, while completing 288 instructional hours as college students. If students desire, they may continue with additional coursework toward an Associate’s degree.

Additional Forestry and Natural Resource agencies and businesses who may be interested in partnering with Columbia College are encouraged to contact Dr. Tenbergen:

Dr. Klaus Tenbergen

Dean of Career Technical Education & Economic Development

tenbergenk@yosemite.edu

Office: 209.588.5142

http://gocolumbia.edu/career_technical