Merced College works hard to show that training the local workforce and engaging its community with learning opportunities is as much a part of its mission as educating first responders or students who transfer to four-year universities. Spring 2024, then, offers to community members yet another chance to hone and gain new work skills, or take on new interests. “It’s what a community college does—responding to the community’s needs,” said Caroline Dawson, Dean of Business, Adult Education & Noncredit. “It’s literally listed in our mission statement. It’s also the right thing to do.”
Workforce Training
Dawson called workforce education “front and center of what we do.” Contract Training Coordinators Matt Shumaker and Dorota Mimms, with office technician Tiffany Day, lead the work to identify and customize training for local employers. “With contract education, the college has a lot of different programs and areas of expertise,” Shumaker said. “Our first job is to educate employers on what exists at the college that might work for them.” Merced College can lean on three existing, comprehensive programs that run out of the Business Resource Center in downtown Merced. For example, the college is working with the Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) to offer courses on managing stress and enhancing wellness through the Well-Being Institute. MCOE supervisors are also taking courses from the Emerging Leaders Institute to gain skills in having difficult conversations with employees.
The college, which also boasts a nationally recognized Customer Service Academy, was able to put together the right classes to fit MCOE’s needs. “Anytime we have someone local who understands our unique challenges, we can create stronger partnerships,” MCOE Human Resources Director Stacy Shasky said. “We’re looking for a lot of people to fill entry-level positions at MCOE. So we also send recruiters to Merced College events to inspire students to start their careers in ways that maybe they hadn’t considered.” Shumaker said creating a customized training program starts when employers reach out to the college for help. For example, Joseph Gallo Farms has asked for and received drafting, welding and industrial technical skills over the years.
“It’s fun for me to talk to human resources managers and sell them on the merits of Merced College and what we can provide for their leadership teams and employees,” Shumaker said. “We can make it a win-win for everyone.” The college can use existing courses and staff, like sending ESL instructors to work with employees on the job site to improve their English skills. Another recent client needed to train employees in electrical systems. The workforce ed group packaged existing courses in a way that works for the employer’s schedule. Merced College is also working on a request for ammonia refrigeration training. It’s a new and advanced skill set within that industry, and an exciting challenge for the contract training team. Merced College will eventually fill that need with a new curriculum because the industry now demands it. “We have so many resources at Merced College, but we also beat the bushes to find solutions for local employers,” Shumaker said. “Even if we have to build something from the ground up, we can make it work.” The college already boasts many long-term relationships. Elena Abarca is the human resources manager at Laird Manufacturing, which builds cattle-feeding equipment in Merced and Tulare. Laird needs welders all the time, and the college is training welders all the time. Abarca has been recruiting Merced College welding students for years. The college, which can then tout that job pipeline to prospective students, can also go to Abarca to schedule skills tests and interviews for graduates. “I think we’ve developed a strong partnership over the years, and we want it to continue,” Abarca said.
Job Skills
Merced College also helps community members quickly gain marketable job skills. The popular truck driving school helps students earn a Commercial Driving License (CDL). You could pay several thousand dollars to train with a for-profit school, or you could sign up for the college’s 10-week noncredit program and gain those skills for free. Locals can also train as notary publics and paralegals, or prepare for the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), a standardized exam used by nursing programs. Workforce training isn’t solely for adults. Merced College launched a Hospitality Career Academy (HCA) in Fall 2021, and Spring 2023, the college was running both the HCA and an HCA Junior, for Merced Union High School District students. For people with difficult schedules, Merced College also has online classes in areas like accounts payable, mediation and arbitration, and medical interpretation. It also partners with Ed2Go (cloud, computer systems) and Career Step (medical billing, medical coding, etc.) to offer additional virtual learning.
Enrichment
Community Education Program Coordinator Matt Escobar, Administrative Assistant Domanique Hernandez and Program Assistant Michele Dwyer lead the other part of the community education effort. They’re the ones who recruit and schedule instructors to teach enrichment courses for adults and the popular College for Kids summer program. All College for Kids classes are normally two hours long, but the college is adding a daylong session this summer. For adults throughout the year, there are yoga classes and fitness boot camps, and enrichment classes in Mediterranean cooking and salsa and bachata dancing, and more. “It’s really our goal to help people know that we’re here for them, and help them realize we can provide training and learning they may not have even thought of yet,” Dawson said. “And we want local employers and community members to reach out to us. We’ll figure out whatever it is they need.”