$250 Million Allocated to Transform Career Pathways in California - Grant RFP Out This Fall

California State Budget Act includes an allotment of $250 million for a K-14 California Career Pathways Program. In adopting this new initiative, State leaders are calling for business and schools to engage in partnerships in developing and supporting locally defined career pathway programs which will strengthen preparation of our students for the highly skilled, technically demanding jobs of the 21st century.

This program will help ensure students will receive the knowledge and skills to successfully compete in a workforce that demands high skills. The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) employment sector stands out as one of the top opportunities for students with jobs projected to increase by 27% making the ICT sector the fastest growing career cluster through 2018. In California there is a projected need for a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce in 2018 of 1.14 million, primarily (71%) in computing.

The funds will be awarded by the California Department of Education (CDE) through one-time competitive grants to public local education agencies to be spent in fiscal years 2013-14 and 2015-16. Eligible local education agencies include school districts, county superintendents of schools, charter schools, and community colleges.

As a condition of receipt of funds, a grant recipient must identify and set aside funding within its own budget and obtain funding commitments from program partners sufficient to support the ongoing costs of the program. CDE will initiate the grant Request for Proposal this fall.

The goals of the grant include:

• Establishing regional collaborative relationships and partnerships with business entities, community organizations, and local institutions of postsecondary education.
• Integrating standards-based academics with career-relevant, sequenced curriculum following industry-themed pathways that are aligned to high-need, high growth, or emerging economic sectors.

To help achieve grant goals, employers and other partners can offer services like: internships and employment, mentoring, onsite classes, professional development for teachers, participating in an advisory group, field trips and guest speakers.

Technology companies that would like more information about this grant and who are interested in participating in this program are encourage to contact Gary Page, ICT Consultant with the CDE, by email: gpage@cde.ca.gov.