Martinez Adult Education reports enrollment gains, career-expo hires and expanded healthcare training

Suzanne Murphy, representing Martinez Adult Education, told the Board of Education that the adult school served 1,329 students in 2024–25 and that Career Technical Education remains its largest program, with roughly 731 participants.

Murphy said the program served 357 Martinez residents last year, including about 177 English-learner students, and credited targeted instruction and outreach for recent increases in high school-equivalency completions: “This last year we had 30 students that passed the high school equivalency and we’re very proud of that,” she said.

The presentation stressed workforce outcomes. Murphy described a career expo on Oct. 23 that drew “over 600 attendees,” including 40 employers and about 20 breakout sessions. Exhibitors reported meeting more than 50 students each and breakout sessions, she said, reached their 35-person maximum. Two students in the optical apprenticeship met a Warby Parker representative at the expo, were invited to interviews and were offered full-time jobs within a week, Murphy said.

Murphy also updated the board on a three‑year, state-funded English Learner (ELL) healthcare pathways grant. The grant supports pharmacy technician, medical billing and coding, and optical assistant programs with embedded ESL instruction; she said 20 of 21 medical-terminology enrollees earned certification that can be articulated for college credit, three pharmacy technicians from the ESL pathway are licensed and six optical assistant students obtained licensure and employment.

Murphy outlined supportive services available through the Contra Costa workforce collaborative, including a full-time career coach on-site Monday–Thursday and training dollars awarded to qualified Martinez residents (she reported $27,034 in training dollars awarded to six residents in 2024–25 and more than $18,000 to four residents so far in 2025–26). She said the adult school’s community food pantry, operating Tuesdays 2–4 p.m. through the Contra Costa Food Bank since 2020, assembled about 175 bags per distribution and recently received an extra donation for holiday support.

Board members asked about outreach beyond Martinez and how residents find the adult school. Murphy said the program’s twice‑annual brochure reaches offsite audiences and that social media, word‑of‑mouth and a high search ranking for “Martinez adult education” help draw students from surrounding communities.

The presentation closed with plans to start a technology class in February to help DLAC families access ParentSquare and Aeries and continued collaboration with apprenticeship partners and other adult education providers.

The board received the informational update; no action was required.

The board’s presentation packet and Murphy’s remarks indicated the adult school’s emphasis on measurable post‑training outcomes (employer interviews and hires, embedded certifications and licensing) and on maintaining supportive services that reduce barriers to participation.