Arcadia Chamber of Commerce - The Connection to the Business Community

EWD Pulse Newsletter – Workforce Development Efforts Track Wildfire Responses

Greetings!

Pasadena City College (PCC) was proud to provide a vast array of support and assistance to its community during last year’s wildfires. Being on the front line of the calamity was both daunting and exhilarating, as we experienced the terror of the flames along side the valor of first (and second, and third …) responders. Further, as the danger passed and the damages caused by the conflagration became clearer, PCC recognized its longer-term response to the disaster would be bigger than originally imagined.

Today, PCC’s community support efforts continue, as the school turns its focus to the repair and recovery processes. The State has granted PCC $1.5 million to build out its Career and Technical Education (CTE) resources in alignment with labor demands driven by the recovery process. In addition to adding more training programs for the construction sector, the money also covers costs for those who need it the most – the region’s un- and underemployed workers.

On today’s Podcast, you’ll hear me and my colleague, Leslie Thompson (Director of Operations, EWD Division) discuss our vision of resilience, as we were preparing for October’s Future of Work conference. And on The EWD Pulse website, you can read how the COVID-19 pandemic also generated a sense of resilience in the face of disaster.