Valley Legacy

Valley Legacy 2009-2012 Executive Summary

Valley Legacy, the two-year $2 million Workforce Investment Act (WIA) grant from the California governor’s 15% discretionary fund, has come to completion. For complete reports about each deliverable, please go to the respective web pages. For the Executive Summary, click to the right.

English Language Learners

At Waterford High School, ELL students who are active student academic leaders on campus, have created, implemented, and analyzed the effectiveness of their academic action plans. They established the VOWELS Club – Voices of Waterford English Learner Students, which was highlighted in the Waterford News on April 26, 2011.

Digital Literacy

Valley Connect worked to engage community members in technology and help expand small business by offering free technology training. The components of the program were computer technology training for adults, coaching to increase online business activities, and employment services.

Green Workforce

www.wiasjvceo.com was developed as a central repository of information for students, educators, job seekers, and members of the clean energy industry as a portal to access information relevant to their interests in clean energy. Solar panel installation is a job that has become necessary with the expansion of the solar energy industry.

Entrepreneurship

At E-Centers located on Reedley College and Bakerfield College campuses, Central Valley residents are being prepared to pursue self-employment through efforts of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and other Valley community partners.

Sector-Based Articulation

A significant finding of the sector-based articulation project was that high school students are interested in learning about high priority industries and will include those classes in their schedule. Waterford High School, in Stanislaus County, expanded its welding sequence to include Ag Machinery and Manufacturing.

We are Valley Legacy. Welcome.

A unique pilot program sharply focused on preparing today’s workforce and communities for tomorrow’s high-demand industry careers within the San Joaquin Valley.

The $2 million Workforce Investment Area grant awarded to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley in November 2009 was successfully completed in March 2012. The demonstration projects were designed to help train San Joaquin Valley workers for well-paid jobs going unfilled despite high unemployment rates. The Partnership along with its partners used this grant to help create sustainable recovery strategies that will offer Valley residents not only jobs but an improved economic outlook and an enhanced quality of life.

We have come to the close of what is hopefully the beginning of new directions for the 1,200 Valley residents who were impacted by the training they received, the connections they made and the experiences they will put to use.