Mt. San Jacinto College Invites Public to Inaugural National Apprenticeship Week Activities

November 9, 2023

Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) invites the public to its inaugural National Apprenticeship Week and Apprenticeship Connection Summit November 13 - 17. MSJC is honored to welcome Jessica Pitt, the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Healthcare Workforce with the California Labor & Workforce Development, who will be the keynote speaker at the summit. The week also offers workshops, trade fairs and recruitment events for those interested in earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship programs that train participants for good-paying careers. All events are free and open to the public.

“Apprenticeships offer life-changing opportunities for workers to develop in-demand skills while earning a paycheck,” Assistant Deputy Secretary Pitt said. “I commend MSJC for bringing together key stakeholders to strengthen career pathways in this community.”

In addition to Pitt's keynote address, the summit will feature expert panels and discussions on implementing effective apprenticeships. Topics include skills development, building partnerships, diversity, and inclusion, and leveraging local resources. Nearly 130 local leaders in education, business, government, and community organizations will attend the summit.

“MSJC is committed to connecting students to real-world training and jobs,” MSJC Superintendent/President Roger Schultz, Ph.D., said. “The Apprenticeship Connection Summit brings together the right stakeholders to make a real impact. It will catalyze new collaborative apprenticeship models that launch students into high-wage, high-skill careers, strengthening our regional economy.”

Joyce Johnson, MSJC’s Vice President of Career Education, said that apprenticeships are a central part of any workforce development strategy today. “MSJC’s Apprenticeship Connection Summit will explore innovative approaches and build critical partnerships with employers,” Johnson said.

Tonya Burke, MSJC's Director of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning (AWBL), said the college district's apprenticeship programs and partnerships combine paid, on-the-job training with relevant instruction that prepare students for well-paying careers in a variety of fields, ranging from automotive technology to viticulture. Burke said AWBL programs are tailored so that students build skills and are prepared to meet the needs of employers in this region.

The Apprenticeship Connection Summit, is a groundbreaking event designed to bring together essential partners from across the region to explore strategies and collaborations that will expand apprenticeships for industries of the future. It will be held on Nov. 15 at the Temecula Valley Campus, 41888 Motor Car Parkway in Temecula from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Guests can register via this link or can contact awbl@msjc.edu. Other events are:

Nov. 13: Construction Trades Fair, Menifee Valley Campus, 28237 La Piedra Road in Menifee, 10 AM to noon.
Nov. 15: The Apprenticeship Connection Summit, Temecula Valley Campus, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Nov. 16: Meet and Greet with Team AWBL, Menifee Valley Campus, 10 AM to noon.
Nov. 17: Automotive Appreciation Open House, starting at 1 PM at the San Jacinto Campus, 1499 N. State St. in San Jacinto - CANCELED

Visit msjc.edu for more information.

MSJC, in partnership with the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network, currently offers apprenticeship programs in accounting, automotive technology, cybersecurity technicians, EMT/paramedics, nursing, teacher education, water treatment technician, and viticulture. Other Career Education programs include administration of justice, allied health, aviation science, business administration, real estate, golf course/turf management, and more. Visit msjc.edu/careereducation to learn more. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship counted almost 600,000 active apprentices in nearly 27,000 registered apprenticeship programs in 2022.

MSJC, part of California’s community college system, opened in 1963. Today, MSJC currently serves 29,000 students a year. MSJC is a single-college district that covers a 1,700- square-mile area in Riverside County from the San Gorgonio Pass to Temecula. Campus locations: the San Jacinto, Menifee Valley, and Temecula Valley campuses. In collaboration with the Beaumont Unified School District, MSJC's San Gorgonio Pass Campus houses the Beaumont Middle College High School. MSJC offers courses and programs that satisfy the transfer requirements of four-year colleges and universities; job skill and career training programs; Basic Skills and English as a Second Language (ESL); Online Education; and Continuing Education.