our-class

Contextualized Career Readiness for a Cloud Computing Consortium

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:50:58 GMT

Partnership with a cloud computing consortium

Our Class partnered with California Cloud Workforce (CCW) Consortia to provide ongoing support in the development of soft skills for the students in the consortia across the 19 participating colleges. Our Class, in consultation with CCW Consortia leadership, developed a series of scaffolded and contextualized career-readiness workshops and 1:1 resume development sessions for students. Students gained skills in the workshops to organize and develop their resumes and prepare them for competitive job interviews including the opportunity to participate in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Virtual Career Fair. The AWS Virtual Career Fair was specifically designed and hosted for the consortia to provide more opportunities in the tech sector for community college students.

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services including data, networking, and storage, over the internet. It is one of the largest growth areas in technology today, with 90% of companies on the cloud. As a result of COVID-19, a greater population of the workforce has moved to work remotely, further increasing the already high demand for cloud computing services. The high demand has created opportunities for students to enter and pursue a high-wage growth sector.

To best meet this demand and prepare students for opportunities, Santa Monica College established a regional sector-based partnership of multiple cloud employers, 19 community colleges and partnering high schools, to create the California Cloud Workforce Consortia (CCW), a Strong Workforce Program funded by the CA Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. The goal of the CA Cloud Workforce Consortia is to expand the common cloud curriculum and develop a regional career pathway program leading to industry certifications. The Cloud Computing Certificate is now offered at all the participating colleges and is approved by the state as a regional certificate program with course credit portable across the 19 colleges. Between Fall 2017-Fall 2020 a total of 3,555 students enrolled in cloud computing courses in the Los Angeles region.

High School Students Engage in Empowering Career Readiness

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 21:50:56 GMT

PARTNERSHIP WITH WILLIAM S. hart UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Our Class partnered with William S. Union Hart District to provide six interactive college and career readiness workshops to empower and prepare students for their post-secondary endeavors. Hart District's leadership consistently received feedback from their industry advisory board that students needed to develop their “soft skills”, such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking and confidence. In direct response to this feedback, leadership engaged with Our Class to co-design workshops that focused on soft skills development. The curriculum was specifically designed to empower and engage students by integrating their experiences, stories and cultural assets.

Our Class and Hart District collaboration created an immersive experience for students by providing space to share stories, which built connections amongst their peers and fostered a sense of belonging. Students took part in group meditation, gratitude activity, and active listening through networking. This intentional design created a sense of comfort and community amongst students which spurred powerful conversations.

It is said that the highest human act is to inspire. Our Class workshops are designed to inspire students to be the best version of themselves and recognize they’re not alone in their experiences. Through collected survey responses, many students expressed that they left the space feeling inspired and grateful to reflect critically on their future goals and opportunities.

HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES STRENGTHEN INTERVIEWING SKILLS

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 22:35:57 GMT

partnership with homboy industries

Our Class facilitated an empowering day of career-readiness training for Homeboy Industries' LA Rise participants. Facilitators utilized culturally-relevant and asset-based pedagogy and pulled from their own experiences and traumas to connect with the experiences of being formerly incarcerated and system impacted. The following topics were covered in the session where participants mindfulness, S.T.A.R. interviewing, and engaged in mock interviews.

The 22 participants received a curated handbook that was intentionally designed to inspire participants through the use of powerful quotes and relevant cultural references. This uniquely designed handbook helped them reflect on their own strengths and identify career goals. To create a greater sense of community, each participant was gifted an Our Class, “Empower and Educate” t-shirt as a memento of their shared experience. As a token of gratitude and appreciation, engagement was celebrated by raffling off gift cards at the end of the workshop.

participant feedback

"I expected more of a usual "lesson." The approach was an explanation from their experience in a brief but very detailed journey in life and not just the typical "do this and do that" idea. I appreciate the wisdom that they had to offer."

"The most valuable thing I learned today was to be confident about myself and it's ok to be honest and do research on the company I'm applying to."