Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Thursday launching a new career education effort to prepare students and adults for the workforce of the future while seeking to reduce employment barriers to state jobs, including college degree requirements that are unnecessary for job duties.
The executive order directs the state to align and integrate the implementation of programs supported by billions of dollars in funding to prepare students and workers for high-paying careers.
This action launches the development of a new Master Plan on Vocational Education as the economy evolves and the unmet need for diverse types of skilled labor grows in the trades, green energy, and health care sectors.
“All families, students, and workers deserve the freedom to succeed – to develop real-life skills and pursue careers, including those that don’t require college degrees. California is leveraging billions of dollars in investments to prepare students and workers for well-paying, long-lasting, and fulfilling careers,” Governor Newsom said.
For her part, California First Lady Siebel Newsom said that "all Californians deserve a path to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential."
In this regard, he said that "by expanding opportunities to acquire tangible skills and work experience essential for employment, we are training students and workers to succeed in any career they choose."
Notably, the executive order mandates state leaders in education, workforce and economic development to work collaboratively with leaders of the state's public education systems and employers, along with legislative partners and stakeholders representing diverse students, parents, education professionals, workers, businesses and community groups, to develop a Career Education Master Plan.
The Career Education Master Plan will guide the state in its efforts to strengthen career pathways, prioritize hands-on learning and real-life skills, and promote universal access and affordability for all Californians through streamlined collaboration and partnership between government and the private sector.
For students, the Master Plan will allow the state to identify opportunities for alignment and coordination between sectors, both public and private, to ensure more professional and skills development opportunities for students and workers.
Career pathways will also be strengthened by encouraging all students, starting in high school, to discover and explore well-paying, fulfilling and long-lasting careers, including those that do and do not require college degrees, and guiding them toward pathways to those careers.
This will be complemented by prioritizing practical learning and real-life skills with paid opportunities to “learn by doing” and receive training that can be certified.
The agreement details that California will reduce the costs of education and vocational training and simplify access to support, including financial aid, career counseling and disability services.
The executive order also directs the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to evaluate whether a college degree is required for a particular position each time its classification is reviewed.
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