From West Hills College
Community College Chancellor gives WHC Coalinga kudos for career tech education

West Hills College Coalinga has earned special recognition from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office for its dedication to career technical education.

WHCC was named one of the CCCCO’s Strong Workforce Stars, earning recognition for the outstanding workforce outcomes for three of its programs. WHCC was recognized for its Child Development-Early Care and Education, Administration of Justice and Psychiatric Technician Programs. This recognition was based on program outcomes including an increase in earnings for graduates and attainment of a living wage after completion of the program.

“West Hills College Coalinga is focused on student success, and part of that is ensuring that our students can be successful in the workforce after graduation,” said Robert Pimentel, WHCC Associate Dean of Educational Services. “We’re always working on developing our programs to lead to employment and wage gains for our students.”

WHCC earned Bronze Stars for its Child Development-Early Care and Education program, whose graduates saw a 57% increase in earnings, and Administration of Justice, whose students saw a 67% increase in earnings.

WHCC also earned a Gold Star for its Psychiatric Technician program. The program’s students saw a 384% increase in earnings. Regarding program graduates, 94% of students attained the regional living wage, and 100% are employed in a job similar to their field of study.

California Community Colleges Strong Workforce Stars, launched in 2017, is an annual recognition and celebration for career education programs, also known as career technical education, whose students show significant gains in factors important for advancing social mobility – a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage and a job closely matched with the 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 three outcomes thresholds they meet.