Many states around the country are looking to community colleges to fill the labor gap. Lifelong educator Paulette Chaffee comments on California's efforts to do this by expanding community college baccalaureate programs.
Fullerton, CA - In an effort to help fill the large labor gap, California is working on expanding the community college baccalaureate program in the state. The push comes at a time when employers across industries struggle to find qualified workers, and traditional four-year universities remain out of reach for many students.
Many proponents of the plan say that adding to the list of bachelor's degrees currently offered by community colleges will go a long way to training the workforce in California, and lifelong educator Paulette Chaffee agrees. The logic is straightforward: meet students where they are, and remove the barriers that prevent them from advancing.
Community colleges typically only offer two-year associate's degrees, requiring students to move onto a traditional four-year college to obtain a bachelor's degree. However, many underserved students will attend community colleges to keep their education costs down, so expanding the program to offer more bachelor's degrees will likely create a more equitable and inclusive higher education environment in the state. For students balancing jobs, family obligations, or both, the option to complete a four-year degree close to home makes a meaningful difference.
The cost gap is hard to ignore. A typical bachelor's degree costs more than $13,000 per year at the University of California or about $10,500 per year at community colleges. Over the course of a degree, those savings add up significantly, especially for students who cannot afford to take on substantial debt.
Through a pilot program launched in 2014, 15 of California's 116 community colleges offer some bachelor's degrees. That pilot program was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom back in October, which will see the program offer 30 new bachelor's degrees every year. The expansion reflects a broader recognition that the existing pipeline from community colleges to four-year institutions is not working for everyone, and that the state needs to build new pathways if it wants to meet workforce demands.
California is not alone in this thinking. There are 23 states that offer baccalaureate degrees through their community colleges. It's a way that many states are looking to serve a wider base of students to provide better access to these degrees, particularly in fields like healthcare, information technology, and advanced manufacturing where skilled workers are in short supply.
In addition to expanding baccalaureate programs, 10 states began to expand their workforce training programs at their community colleges since the pandemic started in early 2020. Through these programs, the states began to pay students' tuition if they were pursuing a field that was deemed to be "in-demand." The approach recognizes that cost is often the single biggest obstacle preventing adults from returning to school to reskill or upskill.
Taking that one step further, California's Orange County announced a partnership earlier this year with Fullerton College. The Drone Piloting Program is aimed toward the youth in the county and will allow teens and young adults between 16 and 24 years old to gain early access to emerging jobs in STEM fields for up-and-coming industries. Programs like this one are designed to reach students before they age out of the educational system entirely, connecting them to career paths they might not otherwise discover.
As Paulette Chaffee explains, the program will allow students to participate in Fullerton College's TECH 150 Basic Piloting Course, where they will work on flight management, piloting safety and skills, and the proper usage of and care for drones. The curriculum blends technical instruction with real-world application, giving participants a head start in an industry that continues to grow as commercial drone use expands across sectors like agriculture, logistics, and emergency response.
All of these programs are working to provide more equitable access to higher education to all of California's youth. Whether through affordable bachelor's degrees or hands-on workforce training, the state is gradually building a system that meets the needs of both students and employers. The challenge now is sustaining that momentum and ensuring these initiatives reach the communities that need them most.