Government, Education, and Business Leaders Plan Career Pathways for Alameda Youth

Announcement submitted by Alameda Unified School District:

Leaders from the City of Alameda, Alameda Unified School District (AUSD), Alameda County, the Peralta Community College District (PCCD), law enforcement agencies, local businesses, and non-profit organizations gathered Thursday morning to begin a conversation about providing more career training for youth in Alameda.

About 40 people attended the breakfast meeting, the theme of which was “ALL IN Alameda – K-12, College, City, and Local Industry Partnering Together to Help Prepare Youth for College and Career.” The conversation focused on finding ways to equip community college-bound high school students in Alameda with the technical skills to enter the workforce. It was part of a broader initiative to create sustained, career pathways connecting AUSD, PCCD, and practical work experience.

Attendees included Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan, Mayor Trish Spencer, Chief of Police Paul Rolleri, Interim Fire Chief Doug Long, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mark Sorensen, as well as Bonnie Panlasigui (CAO, Alameda Hospital), Chris Seiwald (CEO Perforce), Laura Zimmerman Cook (CEO, AEC Living), Ian Wright (founder and CEO of Wrightspeed), and Liz Taylor (president and CEO of D.O.E.R.).

“My hope is that with clear, viable career pathways, students will be encouraged to stay in school and enter rigorous academic programs that position them to succeed in high skill, high wage, high demand jobs,” said Sean McPhetridge, Ed.D., superintendent for AUSD. “To truly prepare young people for work, we need to provide them opportunities to become aware of different career choices and to learn from adults in actual work-based experiences.”

The groundwork for this collaboration already exists in the region. For instance, as part of her “ALL IN – Alameda County” program, Supervisor Wilma Chan has asked AUSD to develop strategies to end poverty through education and workforce development efforts.City staff, AUSD staff, and partner organizations also have worked through the Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth and their Families (ACCYF) to promote positive child and youth development.

Over the last six months, AUSD also has actively worked with thenew East Bay Career Pathways Trust (CPT) consortium, which has brought together 11 school districts, six community colleges, two Regional Occupation Programs, the Alameda County Office of Education, business partners, and professional development providers to reshape the East Bay’s K-14 educational programs. Currently CPT has committed to identifying and planning new career pathways from school districts to college and beyond in four key areas: Public Service, Allied Health, Information Technology and New Media, and Advanced Manufacturing.

Here in Alameda, those pathways will consist, in part, of providing early college courses via College of Alameda and Merritt College, as well as internships with local industries and organizations. After the breakfast last Thursday, 11 businesses and organizations pledged to be at the Youth Career & Job Fair on May 6, 3:30 – 5:30 pm, at Encinal High School. Ten businesses pledged to provide an internship this summer.

“AUSD aims to focus efforts first and foremost on creating an Alameda-centered, workforce development strategy,” Superintendent McPhetridge said during his presentation. “We will continue to work with neighboring cities, but we believe our focus should be first on working with our local partners: City of Alameda, College of Alameda, the Alameda Police and Fire Departments, Alameda service agencies, and local Alameda businesses.”

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