Today, more than 600,000 jobs, most of them technical, are going unfilled across the nation. Business and industry are seeking both tried-and-true and innovative workforce development strategies to develop highly skilled technical workers with the right capabilities. Let us share four examples of how employers can and do access technical training and education for their own workforce needs. Dow...

Jeff Lemler found himself, in high school, fairly apathetic and without any concrete goals for the future – often a common feeling among youth that age. Eventually, after 12 years working in restaurants, he discovered his passion. One day he had an epiphany at work while carrying a tray of drinks: “I like cars. I've always liked cars. I've always worked on them as a hobby. Maybe I could do it...

Norma Cendejas immigrated to the United States from Mexico at the age of 16, already married and pregnant with her first child. She never attended high school. “I came here as a migrant farm worker and all five of my kids were in the Migrant Head Start program. I enjoyed visiting the program’s center and volunteered in the classroom. I saw myself working as a teacher and helping those...

You might say the desire to be a teacher was something Morgan Livingston was born with. Okay, so her mother is a high school teacher, and her dad was a professor, senior dean and even interim president at LMC. Yes, a bit of family influence, indeed! Now, Morgan is an adjunct professor at Cal Poly and loving life as she fulfills her dreams. “I attended LMC,” she shared, “primarily because my...

George Mills, originally from Liberia, came to Los Medanos College guided by family members, and stayed because of the warm community, the atmosphere of success, and the tremendous instruction he received. After receiving an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts at LMC, George transferred to CSU East Bay and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master’s in Public Administration. He began...

Your Road to Career Success Starts Here. As you think about the next step in your life, what do you see?  A career?  More education? Job advancement?  Transfer & Career Services at Los Medanos College can help you create your plan for the future. As you consider college majors, careers are a big focus–but where do you start? Follow these steps to get headed in the right...

There are over 21.8 million veterans in the U.S. today and (about 1.6 million are women). 43% of all military veterans attending college are enrolled in community colleges. The unemployment rate for veterans May 2014: 6.1 percent October 2015: 3.9 percent A higher percentage of male veterans go into management and professional careers (34.6%) than non-veterans (32.5%). This is even more true...

LMC Alum and Marine Corps Veteran, Mark Moraga, joined the Marines in 2004 as a way to find direction and maybe a career focus for his life. He wanted to leave negative influences in his community. Mark is an OIF veteran with tours overseas that included Fallujah and Ramadi. Within one week of his discharge from the Marines in August 2008, Mark enrolled at LMC, and became one of our first...

The United States Armed Forces have deployed over 3 million troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.  An estimated 30,000 men and women leave the military and return to California each year.  That number is expected to dramatically increase as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down and the military downsizes. Student veterans add diversity and value to our campus population that we welcome at Los...

Will I ever use this in a future career? Here is a look at innovative math instruction for all ages that exposes students to high-wage, in-demand careers. At some point in every student’s life, the question is asked, “when will this ever be useful?” The Bay Area Water/Wastewater Workforce Development Collaborative (BAYWORK) has found an answer to that very question, by creating engaging...

For the first time, the 150 Prize-eligible institutions are also invited to nominate exceptional students enrolled in their best middle-skill STEM programs for scholarships. Up to 50 Siemens Technical Scholars will be selected from programs that provide outstanding preparation for high-demand jobs in manufacturing, energy, health care, and information technology. A partnership between the Siemens...

Highlighting the critical importance of improving student success in America’s community colleges, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has named Los Medanos College (LMC) as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize funds, as well as Siemens Technical Scholars Program student...

Doing what they love, for life! Many LMC alumni are working in our communities and having the time of their lives. You have every reason to be excited about your future, too – a college education will help prepare you for a lifetime of career success. Here we showcase a few of our alumni, with the hope that you find inspiration to fuel your journey to a great career! George Mills George Mills,...

Ask almost any student or graduate and they’ll tell you a pretty compelling story of how Los Medanos College changed their life. LMC has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people, and the success and vibrancy of our communities for the past 40 years. There are many stories of success that our students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners have to share.  Here are just a few of...

LMC Degrees & Certificates Gives you College Skills Certificate The skills you need to get an entry-level job or additional specialization Certificate of Achievement Expanded certificate with additional knowledge and skills to help you move up Associate of Arts or Science Degree (AA or AS) The coursework you need to transfer to a four-year college Associate in Arts...

A career booster with a solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and math! Looking for a job that’s interesting and rewarding? How about a career field that’s growing fast, pays well, and offers financial security? You may want to consider careers based on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—STEM for short—which are on the rise in the Bay Area, and all across the...

Hot jobs are available in these hot careers! In 2012, Los Medanos College and the Contra Costa Community College District served as the consortium leads for Design It – Build It – Ship It (DBS), a 4-year, $14.9 million U.S. Department of Labor-funded initiative in the East Bay under the Obama Administration’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training program...

Sonia Barocio plans to transfer to UC Irvine and study biology, and ultimately earn a PhD in Biomedical Research. She has flourished at LMC, participating in the Honors Scholar, STEM Scholar, STEM Ambassador and MESA programs. She presented research at the Statewide Honors Research Symposium, and was a summer researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She has been involved with...

Providing support for computers and keeping them secure are ongoing needs in today’s companies. LMC’s Computer Science Department offers a number of options to help you prepare for a career in these dynamic, high-demand fields in the Bay Area. In addition to developing your technical skills, LMC’s programs provide you with new job skills, better career choices and great wages. According to...

Where are all my peeps at? Have you considered a career in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM)? These careers certainly need more representation from our communities! The Bureau of Labor Statistics says not only do STEM careers account for more than 10% of the job market, but also pay more than twice the median wage of an average job (2013). Unfortunately, Hispanic, African-American,...

Exploring Equity What is equity? At Los Medanos College (LMC), equity is the shared responsibility for us to create a college that is safe, healthy, and inclusive for all members of the campus community. We work together to build a campus environment that supports each one of our students to bring their strengths, culture, and unique identities and dreams to the campus environment. To quote...

How would it feel to know that you will be accepted to a Cal State University (CSU) when you’ve completed your associate degree at Los Medanos College? Would you like to know that each class you take will get you closer to transferring, and that you aren’t wasting any effort, time and money? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, check out the College’s Associate Degrees for...

Nilton Serva, majoring in Computer Science, addresses the audience at an Earn & Learn awards breakfast. When Nilton Serva was released from his second juvenile incarceration, he was on the verge of homelessness. Then the Los Medanos College student was connected to Earn & Learn East Bay and earned an opportunity to work at Costco Wholesale. Throughout the course of his paid internship he...

East Bay Municipal Utility District • Phillips 66 • Shell When thinking about what these companies have in common, there is an important connection that is transforming our college and community that some may not know: each recently provided valuable work experience to interns through the Cooperative Work Experience Education Program at Los Medanos College. “Students are directly...

Being successful at your job requires skills that are not necessarily taught in the classroom. Skills that are not technical or task-oriented, often referred to as soft skills, are important to a successful and productive career. Examples of soft skills include: Interpersonal skills Integrity Professionalism Initiative Dependability and reliability Critical thinking According to the 2014...

Working together to bring quality work-based-learning to Contra Costa County [caption id="attachment_1367" align="alignleft" width="169"] Electrical and Instrumentation Technology student, Carlos Magana, participated in a paid internship with San Francisco Water District.[/caption] What do you want to be when you grow up? What if you don’t know? How do you find out about careers? Earn &...

Laniece Bell is a veteran, mother, Vallejo native, and third generation in her family to attend college. She is majoring in Liberal Studies/Behavioral Sciences/Sociology, and is planning to transfer to CSU East Bay in Fall 2018. Laniece served in the United States Army where she was a specialist, and served in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). She uses LMC’s new Veterans Resource Center...

You don’t have to commit to four years of college to increase your income In choosing a career, it’s important to know your personal interests and talents, the job outlook for occupations matching your interests and talents, the education required, and the earnings you can expect - annually and over a lifetime. Several recent economics studies shed light on the outlook for national and local...

LMC now has an active, vibrant Veterans Resource Center. Opened in 2016, it is located centrally on campus and offers services and resources to specifically support student veterans, including a dedicated academic counselor, educational benefits support, computer access and printing, and a place to hang out in between classes. The one common theme is that all the student veterans appreciate that...

Now attending CSU Los Angeles, Darren Meeks graduated from LMC with an Associate in Science in Business Administration for Transfer, one of the new degrees designed specifically for transferring to a Cal State University campus. He also completed two Liberal Arts degrees at LMC – one in Math/Science, and another in Behavioral/Social Science. At CSULA, Darren is concentrating on finance and plans...

LMC’s Transfer & Career Services provide students with a variety of on-campus, online and off-campus resources to aid students in finding, applying and transferring to hundreds of universities near and far! Why consider transferring from Los Medanos College? Our students are gaining prestige among transfer institutions, with increasing rates of acceptance at University of California (UC)...

Christina Hernandez is finishing up her GED at Liberty Adult Education while in her first semester at Los Medanos College. She is majoring in Electrical & Instrumentation Technology and is excited about her bright future. She had signed up for the Career Connections class at Liberty Adult Education, and through that, Nick Morgan arranged a tour for the class at LMC. When Christina realized...

In the last few years, there has been a lot of examination and analysis regarding the effectiveness of public education. Adult education and higher education institutions are held to high standards of accountability, and are being encouraged to collaborate in order to provide smooth pathways for adults seeking careers who are actively in the Adult Education system and transitioning into...

Career pathways & exploration for East County high school students In a recent informal survey, I asked people, “When you were in high school, if someone had offered you a GPS that allowed you to type in your career goal and map out your exact career path, would you have taken it?” The responses from young and old alike were a resounding “You bet!” with a few, “Can I get one of those...

LMC graduate Tito Ramos was awarded the LMC Interclub Council (ICC) and LMCAS (student government) scholarships while at LMC.  He transferred to UC Berkeley where he will soon graduate in Media Studies. Tito’s legacy continues on at LMC. After seeing a similar program at UC Berkeley, he was a pivotal force in creating the new LMC Food Pantry, which provides free nutritional food to students...

Since its formation in 1997, the Los Medanos College (LMC) Foundation has been committed to building pathways for LMC students to fulfill their dreams. The Foundation raises funds and allocates critical financial support for educational and career technical training programs, teaching facilities, student scholarships and emergency funds. Investments from corporations and individual donors have...

How do YOU measure success? A six-figure income, a fancy car or a big home in the country? Traditionally, success at a community college is measured by the award of degrees and certificates or completion of coursework necessary for transfer to a four-year college or university. However, we know that students attend Los Medanos College (LMC) for a host of reasons. Some want a degree or certificate...

Start on your path to being a student at Los Medanos College by following the steps below. Submit your application: www.losmedanos.edu/registration Complete the online orientation: www.losmedanos.edu/lmcorientation Assess your English and math skills: www.losmedanos.edu/assessment Meet with a counselor and create your education plan: www.losmedanos.edu/newstudentworkshop Attention...

Headache-saving changes are coming. Changes are coming to the financial aid process that will make it easier to apply for help and plan ahead for college. Beginning October 1, 2016, students will be able to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2017-18 year. This pushes the application date up by several months from the current January 1 opening date. Students will also...

We’ll help you every step of the way. Are you interested in an exciting career of discovery and exploration? Do you like solving problems, working in diverse teams, and innovating ways to make positive impacts on the world? Then come join the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Program at Los Medanos College! Studying a STEM discipline at LMC will prepare you for a fascinating career...