Newsom announced that his administration has removed the college degree requirement for nearly 30,000 state government jobs. He said his goal is to double that number through his Master Plan for Career Education.
The plan will create pathways to receive college credit for experience gained outside of a classroom, such as military service or other job training. Veterans and service volunteers statewide will be able to apply their past experience towards a degree.
“This is around recognizing that we needed to create a framework where you can get the benefit of a life well lived that again doesn’t require some kind of fancy degree,” Newsom said.
The state will also roll out an online database to function as an electronic transcript for job candidates. Newsom described the database, Career Passports, as a place for workers to showcase job and educational experiences, without an emphasis on higher education degrees.
The initiative combines state resources and programs for higher education, career training, and economic development.
Christopher Nellum, executive director of the education advocacy group EdTrust-West, applauded Newsom’s framework.
“We are especially pleased to hear mention of credit for prior learning, e-transcript, and continuing to remove financial barriers to college and career training in his vision,” Nellum said.
Newly-elected Republican Assembly member Heather Hadwick represents parts of far North California and joined Newsom’s announcement. She said the region relies heavily on work training resources.
“I’m from Modoc County so I live three hours from a Costco,” Hadwick said. “It is very rural and career pathways are what we have. We know that we have to show our youth what’s out there and that they don’t always see it at home.”
She added in a press release that the governor’s plan will prioritize “hands-on learning, workforce readiness and regional collaboration to ensure students and workers in rural communities have access to stable, well-paying jobs.”
The visit to Redding is the latest of Newsom’s economic tour around California’s rural counties. His statewide economic blueprint will be unveiled in January.
