Calbright celebrated its 5th anniversary of student enrollment in 2024, which is a significant milestone. But 2024 may also be remembered for a different Calbright milestone: the year Calbright went from being a part of California’s education and economic development system to a leader in it.
This year Calbrightcreated new partnerships and new initiatives that will have statewide impact.
- It released a labor market report on public sector hiring that offers a roadmap to reducing barriers to hiring and securing crucial talent for high paying public sector careers.
- Calbright became a co-founder of the California Workforce Accelerator, a public-private partnership that will bridge the skills gap in key California industries by creating pathways for workers with skill and talent to enter those industries and succeed in much needed jobs.
- Calbright was approved as a pre-apprenticeship provider, meaning that its IT Support, Cybersecurity, and Data Analysis students across the state can be placed in paid positions with companies that will help them learn on the job. Calbright has already launched apprenticeship partnerships with organizations like TechSF.
- Calbright sponsored an educational technology competition to encourage the development of new technologies that can support online education for adults in an equitable manner..
- Calbright continued to serve as a lab school for California with new research initiatives with results that can improve online education for adults statewide, setting new standards for best practices.
Meanwhile Calbright’s faculty and leadership were presenting and collaborating across the state. Calbright President and CEO Ajita Talwalker Menon met with representatives of California’s rural counties, spoke at the California Workforce Association’s Meeting of the Minds conference, and participated in The Rant, a podcast about higher education for diverse populations, along with many other presentations.
Calbright’s VP of Sustainable Growth and District Development Marisa Bold spoke to The Learning Agency. Calbright’s Regional Outreach Coordinator Raul Sarabia travelled up and down the state to meet with potential students and local partner organizations, including trips to Camp Pendleton with Success Counselor Jacob Dodderidge who specializes in working with veterans and active duty service members who are looking for career enhancement and new technical certifications.
Calbright faculty member Michael Stewart gave guest presentations on AI and was one of six faculty members statewide appointed to the California Community College Chancellor’s AI Conversations Working Group, which helps determine how AI is integrated into the CCC system. Calbright’s librarian Alex Mata was selected to serve on the CCC Library and Learning Resources Program Advisory Committee. Faculty member Elizabeth Biddlecomb was appointed to the state-wide ASCCC Online Education Committee.
All of this happened while Calbright’s enrollment grew, as it has grown every year, and it added new programs such as Project Management, HR Learning and Development, and Network Technology,
Calbright didn’t just award its 1000th graduating certificate in 2024, it became a leader in statewide educational and economic initiatives, and innovating educational technologies. It is making connections and developing new systems that will benefit the California workforce and the California economy.
