By Kathleen Rose, Ed.D., who is the Superintendent/President of Gavilan College
Welcome back from Spring Break everyone! Last week Martha Conlin, who has been on our grounds crew staff for more than a decade, created a bouquet of spring blooms from the many varieties of plants on our campus and it was delivered to my office.
I appreciate the beauty of our campus every day and I know you do as well. From the Grand Champion Eucalyptus Tree in parking lot F in the corner by my office (that is the largest specimen of its kind in the US) to the native meadow and the turtles in the pond our campus is unique and spectacular throughout the seasons. Please take a walk today and enjoy the environment around you.
Our Career Technical Education programs are in bloom as well. Just this week I received a letter from the Executive Vice Chancellor of Workforce and
Digital Futures, Von Ton-Quinlivan citing special recognition of Gavilan’s Career Technical Education programs with outstanding workforce outcomes. Analysis of many of our programs have resulted in post-college gains for our students in employment, earnings gains, and regional living wages, based on Strong Workforce Program LaunchBoard data.
The programs recognized include Cosmetology, Licensed Vocational Nursing, Water and Wastewater Technology, Computer Programming, Accounting and Administration of Justice. In looking at the data further, Gavilan achieved the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Stars recognition because graduates attained one or more of the following thresholds for economic mobility:
- An increase in earnings by 50% or more
- Attainment of the regional living wage by 70% or more
- 90% or more are employed in a job similar to their field of study
Fantastic work CTE Division staff, Dean Sherrean Carr and faculty! Look to the future for more innovative programs “in bloom” to include HVAC, Concrete Industry Management, Construction Management and more. Of course interested students can always check out our ever-popular drone technology programs, AMT programs at the San Martin Airport and Digital Media programs on the Gilroy Campus.
In addition, stay tuned next month for a special feature in my column on the Child Development program and our Teacher Training Pathway grant that is offering an opportunity for students to prepare for teacher certification and community-based internships that is super exciting!
Happy spring everyone!
