In early October, California launched its new free online skill-focused community college school: Calbright Community College. The online school focuses on helping adults learn new job skills for careers that are increasingly reliant on technology.
Anyone can apply at CCCApply.org for admission. Courses in cybersecurity, information technology, and medical coding are currently available to take online. Students can obtain a certificate that shows they’ve mastered the key job skills necessary, rather than attaining a certain number of credits.
The “competency based education” will help jumpstart a new career instead of being required to spend years in college taking classes that don’t necessarily correlate with the skills they’ll need to acquire to be employable.
The new school will start with about 400 students, but hopefully the number will grow much higher.
Powerful and corrupt unions like the California Federation of Teachers are adamantly opposed to the new college since it offers more competition to the near monopoly currently held by public schools. If we needed more evidence that the union has no interest in the needs of teachers and students, look no further than its opposition to this unique opportunity that has the potential to benefit hundreds of people.
California Community College Chancellor Eloy-Ortiz Oakley said that “there is so much opportunity for Calbright to test different learning modalities within the competency-based learning environment.”
While there are still details and logistics to figure out, it’s clear that Calbright Community College has the potential to make a big impact on the future of education and economic development in California.
