OAKLAND—Almost 40 consortia representing hundreds of thousands of students across California are the first recipients of grants under a new $250 million program designed to help students stay in school and move toward college and employment in high-demand fields, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
The California Career Pathways Trust was spearheaded last year by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, establishing a one-time $250 million competitive grant program in the state’s 2013-14 budget. Grant recipients are tasked with creating sustained career pathways programs that connect businesses, K–12 schools, and community colleges to better prepare students for the 21st century workplace. Under Torlakson, the California Department of Education (CDE) administers the program, soliciting and identifying the strongest applications based on a rigorous evaluation process carried out by the CDE and its state partners, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Workforce Investment Board. Continue reading