Delivering 21st Century Job Skills
The Metropolitan Education District (MetroEd) is a Santa Clara County gold mine of learning, with low cost or free classes that prepare high school students and adults for college and technical careers.
More than 1,100 students from six local high school districts – including the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District – are enrolled in MetroEd’s Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) program, which offers 23 science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) courses, most of which fulfill University of California admissions requirements.
SVCTE is one of our County’s key educational resources, boosting individual career potential and economic development. I’m gratified that my Board colleagues recently approved my proposal for a grant that will allow MetroEd to establish two new SVCTE programs targeting high-demand sectors: health care and electric vehicles.
As became all too clear during the pandemic, essential workers like nurses are in short supply. With this one-time County grant, MetroED will develop a new nursing science program focused on preparing students to work in long-term care facilities, hospitals, home health, and other patient care facilities.
This academically rigorous program will enable students to complete college preparatory courses in partnership with local community colleges as “guided pathways” to Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), and Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. In fact, this coursework is designed to motivate students to pursue further professional nursing paths beyond a two-year degree, including obtaining an RN, BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD.
Electric Vehicle (EV) technology is one means to move us away from reliance on fossil fuels, and related climate impacts. With state and federal governments looking to accelerate the transition to electric cars, we will need far more workers versed in servicing and building EVs.
County funding now enables MetroED to address that need, adding an EV program to its suite of traditional Automotive Services classes, creating a much-needed pipeline of technicians trained to work on both types of vehicles.
Funds will be used to develop a curriculum in self-driving vehicles, EV powertrain conversions, and computerized e-learning of future technology, including electric bicycles. Funding will also support the conversion of a new classroom where students will have an opportunity to build electric vehicles.
The largest career-oriented education organization in Santa Clara County for high school and adult students (who can participate on a space-available basis), SVCTE serves five other districts in addition to the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District: Campbell Union High School District; East Side Union High School District; Milpitas Unified School District; San Jose Unified School District; and, Santa Clara Unified School District. SVCTE classes are free for qualified 11th and 12th graders, and bus transportation is provided from the student's home high school to the SVCTE campus and back.
Supporting careers in health care and EV technology provides a great return on investment. We know we have a critical nursing shortage, and we know electric vehicles are a rapidly growing share of the automotive market. By focusing on these fields, MetroED is creating a conduit to 21st century jobs. It’s a win-win for our students, and for our local economy!
Joe Simitian
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
This article was originally published in Los Gatos Living in September 2022.