Outlined in Calbright’s founding legislation is the intention for the College to be a partner to the entire California Community Colleges (CCC) system – from sharing best practices for supporting adult learners to helping other sister campuses integrate competency-based education into their curriculum and operations. As part of this mission, Calbright is pleased to launch a partnership with Bakersfield College (BC) to create a co-developed Data Analysis apprenticeship training pipeline. This collaboration, in addition to expanding opportunity and providing tangible economic outcomes for graduates, fulfills one of the College’s start-up milestones of co-developing a program with another community college.
In the fall of 2023, Calbright will publicly launch its newest program, Introduction to Data Analytics, following a smaller scale pilot that concluded in the spring of 2023. With employment in the data analysis field expected to grow by 23% over the next decade, the program is designed to equip students with in-demand skills needed for the industry, such as organizing data through Structured Query Language databases and understanding how to use data to effectively present and provide meaningful content and context for their colleagues. In addition, Calbright’s program will serve as pre-apprenticeship training for a newly established data analyst apprenticeship program facilitated by Bakersfield College. Students who seek to build a strong foundation in this topic may enroll at Calbright and, upon completion, matriculate to BC’s program.
Together, Calbright’s upcoming Data Analysis program and Bakersfield’s apprenticeship program will serve as a conduit for students to enter today’s workforce. The year-long apprenticeship will provide tangible economic outcomes for students as they earn income while they learn, and aims to train at least 25 apprentices by 2025, offering online instruction and relevant job training directly with employers.
Students who complete Calbright’s program will earn a Certificate of Competency from the College. Those who then matriculate to Bakersfield College and complete the full apprenticeship will receive certifications from the United States Department of Labor, California Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and Bakersfield College. Interested students can expect more details regarding the Calbright and Bakersfield College Data Analysis programs this fall, with an opportunity to matriculate to the Bakersfield apprenticeship program in early 2024.
