Victor Valley, CA, Prepares Students for a Career
Victor Valley College plays a critical role in keeping a pipeline of skilled talent flowing to the region’s businesses.
With an enrollment of nearly 10,000, Victor Valley College (VVC) in Victor Valley, CA, plays a critical role in keeping a pipeline of skilled talent flowing to the region’s businesses.
The college’s career technical programs teach fundamental skills that employers in almost every corner of the region need, and its more than 100 certification programs help ensure graduates are marketable employees.
VVC supports the region’s workforce development efforts through methods ranging from providing customized training and incumbent worker upskilling to registered apprenticeships, vocational certifications and numerous degree programs.
“Courses are designed in partnership with local employers to meet industry demand,” says Robert Sewell, VVC director of marketing and public information officer.
A Real Free-For-All
An example is the college’s new Commercial Driver Training program, which allows students to gain the knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to earn a commercial driver’s license (CDL). At the end of the free, eight-week program, students receive a certificate and can go to the DMV to take the test to receive their license.
“To serve the transportation industry, we have an incredible Automotive Technology department that now includes the Commercial Driver Training program. We also have a free Forklift Training program as well as an Aviation Airframe and Powerplant program,” says Richard Radcliffe, VVC director of instruction, noncredit instructional programs. “Many of the transportation programs also support the logistics industry. We also offer an industrial maintenance apprenticeship that teaches students skills relevant to automated logistics facilities as well as our strong local mining manufacturing industry.”
On-the-Job Training
Sewell says apprenticeships are a critical tool in the college’s workforce development toolbox. All VVC apprenticeship programs are dual registered with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards as well as the Department of Labor, and all VVC apprentices who complete the program receive journey-person status within a particular workforce sector.
VVC plays an integral role in workforce development by initiating several apprenticeship-based programs beyond traditional union trades. Examples include registered nursing, community health worker, industrial maintenance mechanic and aviation/electronics.
“In addition, VVC apprenticeships align with the Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research labor market index data to zero in on in-demand sectors as well as emerging sectors of the workforce,” Sewell says.
Sewell says the college even partners with local schools to introduce students to local career opportunities and give them real-world experiences.
“We work with regional apprenticeship system navigators who conduct outreach and intake of students’ interests. If a student’s interest aligns with programs at VVC, they are referred to our department,” he says. “We also participate in high school outreach events that align with career exploration, and we work with high schools that have registered pre-apprenticeships that can transition to registered-apprenticeship placement at VVC.”
A Skills Player
For professionals looking to hone their skills or transition to a new career, VVC offers several noncredit programs at low or no cost to students — in areas that range from automotive, aviation and construction to cosmetology, business and real estate.
“VVC is the main provider of workforce training in the area, and we are able to offer workforce training at no cost or very low cost depending on the program,” Radcliffe says. “Some workforce training programs offered through our noncredit division are designed to have students working in as little as six to eight weeks.”
Several other job-specific programs are offered through the college’s Skilled Trades, Industry & Transportation Pathway. For example, students can earn certificates and degrees in automotive technology, aviation, construction technology and welding.
Sewell says the college’s advisory committees, which are composed of industry leaders, students and faculty, help evaluate VVC programs to ensure the skills students gain are consistent with industry standards and are meeting the needs of employers in the High Desert region.
“We work with businesses to ensure students are learning the skills those businesses need in a number of ways,” Sewell says. “We create programs that have in-demand jobs. We identify and partner with local industry to help shape the curriculum to ensure it meets their needs, and then we create pathways for students to be considered for hire or design training for their existing employees. We also collaborate with businesses on hiring events and workforce needs, seeking grant opportunities with aligned benefits.”
Get to Know Victor Valley, CA
Want to learn more about living and working in Victor Valley, CA? Check out the latest edition of Victor Valley Economic Development.
