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Lemoore College seeks employer partners as CTE enrollment reaches half of students
Summary
Lemoore College leaders told the City Council that about half of their students are enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) majors and asked local businesses and school districts to host internships, job shadows and apprenticeships for more than 50 students now seeking placements.
Lemoore College officials on Nov. 4 told the City Council the campus is expanding career and technical education and needs local employers to host internships, job-shadowing opportunities and apprenticeships.
"We're happy to be hosting these students and working with some amazing faculty," said Dr. Grant Ermes, dean of career and technical education at Lemoore College, during a study-session presentation. He told council members the college serves about 7,700 unduplicated students (roughly 3,700 full-time equivalent students) and that roughly 50% of enrolled students are pursuing at least one CTE major.
The college emphasized short-term certificate programs that can place students quickly into the workforce as well as pathways that lead to transfer. "A lot of our CTE programs have [work experience] as a requirement," said Grace Flores, the college's director of continuing education and workforce development. "Currently, we have over 50 students looking for internships," she said, describing placements ranging from computer information and industrial technology to culinary and business fields.
Why it matters: Lemoore is a small, largely rural community; college leaders said stronger employer engagement helps students gain soft skills and workplace experience that were disrupted for many during the COVID pandemic. Officials said that connecting students to local employers also increases the chance graduates will stay and work locally.
Council members asked about partnerships with area school districts. Ermes and Flores said the college is expanding dual-enrollment offerings and has begun conversations about pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship placements with the Lemoore Union High School District and neighboring elementary districts.
The college also described related programs it operates: a GED program and an ESL program that staff said have grown substantially. Officials invited the council and community to two campus events: a Dia de los Muertos celebration Nov. 6 (6 to 9 p.m.) and a ribbon-cutting for a new Visual Arts and Applied Sciences building on Dec. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., which the college said will house health career programs, business and computer information systems and visual arts programs.
The college asked interested employers and institutions to contact its workforce-development office to discuss internship and job-shadow placements.
