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Improving Career Education Pathways into California’s Workforce

By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Bonnie Brooks, Mina Dadgar

COVID-19 hit workers with less education hardest, underscoring the need for public investments in workforce training. In this report, we describe student pathways through career education programs at community colleges and discuss insights from stakeholder interviews on how to help more people complete programs and connect to quality jobs.

Report

California’s Future

By Ellen Hanak, Laura Hill, Hans Johnson, Caroline Danielson ...

This multi-topic publication highlights the state’s most pressing long-term policy challenges in several key areas: criminal justice, economy, education, safety net, and water and a changing climate.

Statewide Survey

PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Economic Well-Being

By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Alyssa Dykman

Key findings from the current survey include six in ten Californians think that when today’s children grow up, they will be worse off financially than their parents. About seven in ten Californians are still either very or somewhat worried that someone in their family will get sick from coronavirus, while two in three worry that the pandemic will hurt their finances. In the past year, 43 percent of households with incomes under $40,000 had someone with reduced work hours or pay. A majority of Democrats and most Republicans support increased public funding for job training so that more workers have the skills needed for today’s jobs.

Report

Income Inequality and Economic Opportunity in California

By Sarah Bohn, Dean Bonner, Julien Lafortune, Tess Thorman

The current recession threatens to deepen California’s economic divide and further reduce opportunities for low-income families, communities of color, and women. State policy actions could promote an equitable recovery and address widening income inequality.

Report

Higher Education and Economic Opportunity in California

By Hans Johnson, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

The pandemic and its economic impact have highlighted longstanding social inequities: low-income and less-educated workers are bearing the brunt of both the virus and the downturn. Now more than ever, policymakers and higher education leaders must find avenues for low income and underrepresented students to access the benefits of a college degree.

Report

Supporting Student Parents in Community College CalWORKs Programs

By Shannon McConville, Sarah Bohn, Bonnie Brooks

All community colleges run support programs for students who receive CalWORKs, the state’s cash assistance program for poor families with children. Students do better when enrolled in these support programs, but completion rates are low. How can colleges help more CalWORKs students succeed?

Report

Higher Education in California: Strengthening Career Education

By Sarah Bohn, Shannon McConville

About 30 percent of California’s future jobs will require some training beyond high school but less than a four-year college degree. Career education prepares students for these “middle-skill” jobs by providing occupation- and industry-specific training.

Report

Higher Education in California: Meeting California’s Workforce Needs

By Hans Johnson, Sarah Bohn, Marisol Cuellar Mejia

Strong and growing demand for highly educated workers has been a hallmark of the state’s economy for decades, and forecasts show this demand continuing into the future. But the importance of increasing the number of college graduates goes beyond workforce needs.

Report

Career Pathways and Economic Mobility at California’s Community Colleges

By Sarah Bohn, Jacob Jackson, Shannon McConville

Career education credentials from California’s community colleges can help students advance in the labor market. But some programs offer larger economic returns than others, and it can take a long time for students to see increased earnings. Improving student outcomes—while also responding to future workforce needs—is a challenging but critical task facing the state.

Report

Preparing for California’s Next Recession

By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra

California is enjoying one of the longest growth periods in history and appears well-prepared to endure a mild economic downturn. But a more severe crisis would exhaust current reserves, decrease school funding, and open a significant budget gap for several years. What steps can the state be taking to prepare for and minimize these outcomes?

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