Educators, Employers Stress “On Team” Collaboration at Workforce Summit
Nearly 300 regional educators, employers, business and workforce training leaders convened for the second “Sierra Workforce Summit” on June 3 to align workforce development efforts for Placer County and the broader Sacramento Region.
Sierra College Superintendent/President Willy Duncan reported how the region is progressing toward the goals established at the 2024 Summit, including:
- Employer Engagement: More than 350 employers are working directly with educators through Sierra College’s Employer Advisory Boards, with additional employer engagement happening with workforce development agencies, area chambers of commerce and local high schools.
- Career Connections for Students: More than 5,000 high school students are taking college-level courses through Sierra College dual enrollment, with more than 1,100 enrolled in Career Technical Education courses directly connected to potential careers.
- Clear Educational Pathways: Thirty-nine (39) area high schools are offering Sierra College courses through dual enrollment, which are accelerating student progress toward degrees at Sierra, transfer to four-year universities, and job skills training through Career Technical Education.
- Adult Upskilling: Sierra enrolled 5,800 students above the age of 24, many of which are receiving education for career upskilling or job transitions.
“Our goal for the Summit is to encourage educators, employers, and community partners to think and act as one team to meet our regional workforce needs,” said Duncan. “These results highlight how our strong partnerships are preparing students with the practical, relevant skills needed to fill good-paying jobs at our regional employers. But we can’t stop here—there is more work to be done.”
Sector-Based Strategies Solving Specific Challenges
Summit speakers discussed high-impact strategies to meet workforce needs in specific sectors like precision manufacturing, utilities, food production and health care. These include Sierra College’s Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Machinist Apprenticeship program and its new surgical tech program, which was born out of the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Talent Pipeline Management program with area health systems. Surgical techs are in high-demand and can expect starting salaries of $90,000 after a one-year program.
Sector-based workforce strategies funded through Valley Vision’s We Prosper Together initiative were also discussed. These include SMUD’s Lineworker Scholarship Program, Sierra Commons’ resilient rural food systems and food entrepreneurship accelerator, and the Roseville Chamber’s Talent Pipeline Management program for Precision Manufacturing.
Dual Enrollment Broadening Opportunities for All
The Summit also spotlighted the opportunities created by the increase in Dual Enrollment (DE) courses, where high school students take a Sierra College course at their own high school for free. More than 5,000 high school students at 39 area high schools were enrolled in 80 Sierra College DE course in 2024-25. Roseville Joint Union High School District is currently deploying more than $2 million in grant funding to build Mechatronics DE programs at Antelope and Oakmont High Schools, complete with labs that replicate the lab at Sierra College. More than 200 students have expressed interest for Fall 2025. Sierra College and Roseville Chamber are also collaborating on building the workforce pipeline for cybersecurity careers through dual enrollment at local high schools.
New Report Highlights Impact of Career Technical Education Programs
Sierra College presented its first-ever report on its Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, which blend academic learning with technical and career-specific skills training. The goal of CTE programs is to better and more quickly prepare students for career fields by mixing classroom instruction with hands-on learning, improving academic results.
The new report finds that nearly half (47%) of Sierra College students are enrolled in one of its 21 CTE programs of study, which offer 140 different degree and certificate options. Sierra’s CTE programs include nursing and allied health, precision manufacturing, public safety, building industries, applied arts, business and information technology.
In February, Sierra College celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students who will be working at Bosch’s new semiconductor facility in Roseville.
Recent Graduates Share Their Career Success
The Summit culminated in a panel discussion of recent Sierra College students who shared their journeys from education into the workforce, which Summit attendees said left them feeling hopeful and inspired.
Mathew Gray, a graduate of Sierra’s Fire Academy at its Nevada County Campus, is now working for Sacramento County Airport Fire. Angel Ruano, who secured an internship at Swinerton while studying at Sierra College, is now a full-time Swinerton information technology (IT) employee. Noelle Witcher, a local small business owner who participated in Sierra’s entrepreneurship programs and is preparing to launch her own line of cosmetics. Nursing program graduate Sierra Gartrell announced during the panel that she had just accepted a job offer from Sutter Health.
“A traditional four-year degree program and job hunting on my own were not working for me. Thanks to flexible programs and an internship placement, I have the skills I need and am succeeding at a job with room to move up,” said Angel Ruano.
Visit the Sierra Workforce Summit webpage to see the full agenda, speakers, supporting partners and highlight video of the 2025 event.