Fullerton College Recognized as Strong Workforce Star College News

Eighteen career technical education programs at Fullerton College have been recognized for their ability to prepare students for high earning careers.

Ninety percent of 2015 Fullerton College alumni are employed in a job similar to their field of study. For this reason and many others, Fullerton College is recognized as a Strong Workforce Star by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

“Fullerton College is honored to receive this recognition as a leader in career technical education (CTE) programs and we are proud celebrate this recognition with students who have successfully transitioned into the workforce,” President Greg Schulz said. “Thanks to our outstanding faculty and staff, Fullerton College has the largest CTE student enrollment in Orange County and our positive impact on the regional economy is significant.”

California Community Colleges Strong Workforce Stars is an annual recognition and celebration for career technical education programs whose students show significant gains needed for advancing social mobility. The factors include a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage and a job closely matched with their field of study. College programs may receive recognition at one of three levels: Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, and Gold Stars, depending on how many of the three outcomes thresholds they meet.

Three CTE programs received Silver Stars and 15 programs received bronze stars. Fullerton College Accounting, Construction Management and Interior Design Assistant programs each earned Silver Stars.

Overall, Fullerton College students from 2015-2016 increased their earnings by 50 percent or more, based on a match to the state wage, according to the Career Technical Education Outcomes Survey. They also attained the regional living wage by 70 percent or more, and 90 percent or more students were employed in a job similar to their field of study.

Silver Stars

• Accounting
  • 51 percent increase in earnings
  • 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
• Construction Management
  • 62 percent increase in earnings
  • 77 percent of students attained the regional living wage
• Interior Design Assistant
  • 117 percent increase in earnings
  • 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study

Bronze Stars

• Administration of Justice: 65 percent increase in earnings
• Printing and Lithography: 53 percent increase in earnings
• Automotive Technology: 71 percent increase in earnings
• Child Development-Early Care and Education: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
• Commercial Music: 52 percent increase in earnings
• Computer Information Systems: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
• Construction Crafts Technology: 58 percent increase in earnings
• Cosmetology and Barbering: 84 percent increase in earnings
• Fashion: 73 percent increase in earnings
• Horticulture: 104 percent increase in earnings
• Massage Therapy: 64 percent increase in earnings
• Marketing and Distribution: 92 percent increase in earnings
• Paralegal Studies: 63 percent increase in earnings
• Real Estate Management: 100 percent of students are employed in a job similar to their field of study
• Television/Film (including combined TV-film-video): 68 percent increase in earnings

Strong Workforce Stars is an output of the Strong Workforce Program, an annual recurring investment of $200 million to spur career technical education in California Community colleges, the nation’s largest workforce development system, with 114 colleges. Fullerton College has the largest CTE program in Orange County in terms of full-time equivalent students.

Visit cte.fullcoll.edu to learn more about career technical education programs at Fullerton College.