San Diego County CA—San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges have launched a new website specific to Career Education programs offered at the region’s ten community colleges. CareerEd.org (offered in both English and Spanish) helps prospective students explore growing industry sectors with middle-skill job openings; choose the Career Education program and campus to prepare them for those jobs; and easily enroll in fall classes. Middle-skill jobs are those which require more education than high school and less than a four-year degree.
“Good-paying, middle-skill job openings will only continue to grow in our region, and Career Education offers specific training and employer connections that will help students get these jobs,” said Danene Brown, Chair of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Workforce Development Council and Dean of the School of Business and Technology, Mesa College. “Our newest resource, CareerEd.org, is part of the Community Colleges’ ongoing effort to connect people with programs that will close the growing labor skill gap in our region.”
Today, there are more than 40,000 middle-skill job openings in San Diego and Imperial Counties, according to a July report from the San Diego-Imperial Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research. The study also found that middle-skill positions pay more than other hourly jobs. In San Diego County, the median hourly wage for all middle-skill jobs is $22.10, versus the median for all jobs which is $19.30. In Imperial County, the median hourly wage for all middle-skill jobs is $19.25, versus only $14.42 for all jobs.
The website highlights the region’s top nine fastest-growing industry sectors:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Advanced Transportation and Logistics
- Global Trade
- Energy, Construction, and Utilities
- Health
- Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Digital Media
- Life Sciences and Biotechnology
- Business and Entrepreneurship
- Agriculture, Water, and Environmental Technologies
Each industry sector page includes several job titles and salary information. For example, advanced manufacturing, includes jobs such as: structural iron and steel workers with an average annual salary of $63,398; industrial machinery mechanics with an average annual salary of $55,744; and, industrial production managers with an average annual salary of $95,885.
CareerEd.org also offers videos featuring student stories and an inside look into Career Education. Program faculty are experienced professionals in their field and hands-on work-based training is an integral part of the curriculum. At $46 per credit, these Community College programs are the most affordable option in California.
About Career Education in San Diego and Imperial Counties
San Diego and Imperial Counties have nine California community colleges that offer quality Career Education. Whether learning new skills, earning a certificate or an associate degree, Career Education students gain real-world experience that lead them to in-demand, well-paying jobs. With more than 200 programs to choose from, students learn by exploring, collaborating and doing, with hands-on training and taught by instructors and professionals in their field of study.
The nine San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges offering students the opportunity to “Learn More. Earn More.” are: Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, Imperial Valley College, MiraCosta College, Palomar College, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and Southwestern College. To learn more, visit community college.