What is K12 Strong Workforce Program?

California’s economic competitiveness is fueled, in part, by the strength of its regional economies and its skilled workforce. Oakland Unified School District is committed to investing in developing a skilled workforce to meet our city, region and state’s labor market needs and to ensure upward social and economic mobility for our students.  We show our commitment by participating in the K12 Strong Workforce Program. 

OUSD is part of the Bay Area Community College Consortium region.  In our region, the K12 Strong Workforce Program has three components: 

• Allocates $150M per year to a competitive grants program for which local Bay Area educational agencies serving grades 7-12 are eligible to apply. Grants are to be used to create, support, and/or expand high-quality career technical education programs.

• Funds K-12 Workforce Pathway Coordinators, one per community college district, to be hosted at LEAs, and one K-14 Regional Technical Assistance Provider to be hosted at a college.

• Integrates K-12 educational agencies into the planning process used by the regional consortia to produce and annually update a regional workforce development plan that guides the investments of the community college Strong Workforce Program funds.

Goal of K12 Strong Workforce Program

The goal of the K12 SWP is to increase the levels of college and career readiness among students which will support their successful transition from secondary education to post-secondary education, and ultimately, to livable wage careers.  The four primary areas of focus are:

1. College and career exploration

2. High quality career technical education programs of study

3. Post secondary transition and completion

4. Work-Based Learning
    

Current OUSD K12 Strong Workforce Projects

Round 1: (in partnership with Alameda County Office of Education

1. Alignment Bay Area: Infrastructure to strengthen regional Career Ed systems for all student success

2. Pathways + Farm to Fork Careers - Community Health, Culinary, Sustainable Agriculture, Business

3. Oakland Unified: Pathways to Prosperity

Round 2:

1. ACOE FLY Consortium: Section 3

2. Oakland Unified: Pathways to Prosperity 2020

Round 3:

1. ICT & Digital Media, Pathways to Prosperity

2. Health & Education, Pathways to Prosperity

3. Engineering & Building Trades, Construction, Pathways to Prosperity

Round 4:

1. Pathways to Prosperity: Postsecondary Transitions

2. Pathways to Prosperity: Curriculum & Instruction/Work-Based Learning

Round 5:

1. OUSD Pathways to Prosperity: Early College Credit & Career Exploration

2. OUSD Pathways to Prosperity: Equitable & Seamless Post-Secondary Transitions

What is a K12 Pathway Coordinator?

Strong Workforce Program legislation created the K12 Pathway Coordinator positions to support vital connections between the K–12 sector and community colleges in order to strengthen Career Technical Education (CTE) programs and pathways that align with regional workforce needs.  

• The Bay Region has 18 K12 Pathway Coordinators on board, hosted by Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across the region. 

• K12 PCs are assigned to each community college district’s service area, to work with the community colleges and the K-12 LEAs.

• Collaboratively, our K12 team will provide technical assistance as needed to strengthen and expand CTE programs, and to be go-to resources for K12 Strong Workforce and the Career Technical Education Incentive grants.

Who Is OUSD’s K12 Pathway Coordinator?