Dedicated to Business & Education Collaboration

Contra Costa Economic Partnership's Workforce Initiative is dedicated to developing and supporting sustained collaboration among business, labor, government, K-12, and post-secondary education & training institutions to strengthen the Contra Costa County regional economy.

The Initiative is focused on two areas of work:

The development of a workforce pipeline to serve Contra Costa's high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers in major industry sectors including: Health; BioTechnology; Environmental Sciences; Engineering, Construction & Manufacturing.

The provision of highly rigorous and relevant high school curriculum delivered through multiple pathways including career-themed smaller learning communities and/or academies to ensure students leave the K-12 system with purposeful transitional plans that connect to both post-secondary experiences and to real people doing real work in Contra Costa County.

The Challenge

In today's knowledge and innovation-based economy, the skills necessary for success in the workplace have converged with those needed for success in college. Completing high school is a critical first step in obtaining these skills. Yet, about one-third of all California high school students today drop out of school. Experts estimate as many as another third receive their diplomas, but are unprepared to succeed in college or the workplace.

A key element for addressing drop out rates and improving schools is a rigorous and relevant curriculum that encourages students to engage in school. Our schools must be better connected with industry to ensure that all students gain the knowledge and skills critical for success in both college and careers in order to have real life choices.

In the News

High School Multiple Pathways Policy Analysis for California Education

(PACE) just published a new document, "Making Sense of Career-Technical

Education: Options for California" in which it suggests that multiple pathways in high school, like smaller learning communities or career academies which integrate core academics with career technical education, is more feasible and desirable for California high schools than other approaches to CTE ‹ including the traditional vocational education of the past century, the "dual" systems developed in Austria and Germany, or the sophisticated technical training provided in community colleges. To access this study, click here. (0809WIWorkplanIA.doc)

For more information on the Contra Costa Economic Partnership visit the website at: www.cceconptnr.org