When Rancho Santiago Community College District Chancellor Marvin Martinez began his tenure with the district in 2019, he came with a resume that included three decades of leadership in higher education.
Martinez’s accomplishments prior to RSCCD include improving outcomes for students, balancing budgets and overseeing millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades.
With a new year just underway, Martinez is setting in motion an ambitious agenda for the future of the district, which includes new and upgraded buildings, the expansion of apprenticeship programs and programs serving specialized populations.
At RSCCD, Martinez leads a district with an enrollment of 50,000 students and 3,000 employees.
The district includes Santa Ana College, Santiago Canyon College, the Orange and Centennial learning centers and RSCCD headquarters.
Realizing the demand for skilled professionals in a variety of industries, State Chancellor Sonia Christian has called on Martinez to take the lead on the Apprenticeship Pathways Demonstration Project, an initiative established by Gov. Garvin Newsom to create 500,000 new apprentices by the year 2030.
With seven apprenticeship programs currently offered at Santiago Canyon College, Martinez has been tasked with allocating funds to enhance and increase the number of apprenticeships to 25 community colleges statewide.
The benefits of apprenticeships are two-fold, the chancellor said.
“We can convert all of the hours that you’re generating as an apprentice into credit,” Martinez said. “You get an apprenticeship, but at the same time, you get a degree.”
The associate’s degree attained through an apprenticeship can be the ticket to enrollment into a four-year university, he said.
The chancellor would also like to build on some specialized programs that cater to specific demographics.
One such program is the Project Rise Program, a statewide community initiative providing job training and educational opportunities to assist…
Read the full article here