FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Doug Schultz
Communications Supervisor
626-852-6497
dschultz@citruscollege.edu
Assemblywoman Rubio Convenes Workforce Development Roundtable at Citrus College
Glendora, Calif. (May 14, 2018) – On May 4, California State Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (AD 48) convened a Workforce Development Roundtable at Citrus College. Co-sponsored by Citrus College and the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), the forum brought industry and education leaders together to share ideas and discuss solutions to address the region's growing demand for a skilled workforce.
According to Assemblywoman Rubio, "Business leaders and educators coming together to discuss workforce needs is one part of the solution to closing the skills gap. Preparing students to compete for high-wage, high-demand careers is how we keep our communities strong."
Participants from the education community included Citrus College; Mt. San Antonio College; Rio Hondo College; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Azusa Pacific University; the University of La Verne; and several K-12 unified school districts. Representatives from SoCalGas, Delafield Corporation, Athens Services, the City of Hope and Kaiser Permanente, as well as the Duarte, Glendora and Monrovia chambers of commerce, provided the perspective of local businesses.
By focusing on industry's current and future demand for skilled workers, participants discussed various types of career/technical training and ways to collaborate in the future to strategically address the growing gap between job openings and the availability of trained workers.
Citrus College is a strong advocate for career technical education (CTE) and the excellent job opportunities that are available to students enrolled in the college's CTE programs.
"We appreciate Assemblywoman Rubio's leadership in facilitating this Workforce Development Roundtable," said Dr. Rocky Cifone, dean of Career, Technical and Continuing Education. "Strong partnerships with business and industry are what keep Citrus College's curriculum relevant. And our collaboration with area school districts helps the college shape streamlined pathways to high-impact careers for our students."
As the roundtable concluded, there was consensus among participants that the event was extremely valuable. Assemblywoman Rubio expressed her pleasure at the outcome and said she was already planning to follow up on some opportunities for additional collaboration in the near future.
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