6.         Economic Development Services

6.1       Economic Development As Part Of The Mission Statement Of CCCs And VVCCD

Economic development is seen as a viable mission of the California community colleges and the District.  Economic development is part of the mission statement of the California Community Colleges.  Those portions of the mission statement referencing economic development are as follows.

Economic Development Mission Of The California Community Colleges

…A primary mission of the California Community Colleges is to advance California’s economic growth and global competitiveness through education, training, and services that contribute to continuous workforce improvement… The provision of community services courses and programs is an authorized function of the community colleges so long as their provision is compatible with an institution’s ability to meet its obligations in its primary missions…

Economic Development Mission Of Victor Valley Community College District

We at Victor Valley College are committed to excellence in educational programs and services…  We will continue to be… responsive to the needs of the community.

6.2       Brief Introduction To Services/Activities That Impact Economic Development

The District offers a variety of programs and specialized services designed as resources to promote economic development in the service area.  Many of these services have been clustered around the themes of technical assistance and technology transfer.  Some of the key technical assistance services offered by the District are the following.

·         Economic Development Services.  Since the early 1990s, Victor Valley College has assigned staff the responsibility of participating in economic advancement initiatives in the High Desert.  Staff have served on area chambers of commerce, economic development councils, and joint business outreach and marketing organizations.  The college offers technical assistance to area small businesses and attempts to direct them to needed technical support resources.

·         Economic Surveys and Data Bases.  Since 1992, the college has periodically undertaken the region’s most comprehensive surveys of business needs and trends.  Those databases have been used by area cities, agencies, and the college to revisit current services and to plan for needed occupational shifts and technical services.

·         Workforce Development and Training.  The college offers a comprehensive array of vocational and occupational instruction.  Dozens of vocational majors, degrees, and certificate programs are available to area residents.  In addition to these traditional offerings, the college offers a growing contract education program that works with individual companies to provide them with on-site, fee-based employee training programs.  In this way, the college is serving in a leadership role to maintain the competitiveness of the area’s workforce.

·         Leadership on Coordinated, Centralized Resources.  The College is one of the founding participants in the region’s one-stop training center.  It has served as the host site for the county’s high desert small business development center satellite facility.  The campus is a founding member of the region’s collaborative of economic and workforce development service providers who are working together to find ways to better coordinate and leverage services to the benefit of area businesses and workers.

·         Welfare to Work Transition Services.  The College is playing a strong leadership role in working to provide welfare to work participants with strong job skills and to provide CalWORKs participants with employability skills that will enable them to transition from welfare to steady employment.

Victor Valley College recognizes its important role in economic development.  It will continue to be a strong advocate, partner, and leader in those efforts dedicated to stimulating and advancing the local economy and better preparing the area’s workforce.