By Press Release
The ‘Strong Workforce Program’ Launched Three Years Ago; How is it doing today?

OPINION: By Vanessa Thomas, associate dean of the program at Chaffey College, explains.
The Ways of Work
California launched the Strong Workforce Program in 2016, investing $248 million per year to lift low-wage workers into living-wage jobs by creating workforce development programs at 113 California community colleges.
How is it doing three years later and how is it helping students and employers in the Inland Empire?
Vanessa Thomas, associate dean of the program at Chaffey College, explains.
Q: What is a Strong Workforce?
A: Strong Workforce satisfies the emerging needs of the industry by giving the students the skillsets they need to qualify for living-wage jobs. Students get hands-on training with state-of-the-art equipment currently being used in the field so they can transition seamlessly from the classroom into entry-level jobs. This ultimately bridges the skills gap between labor and industry. This program has seen great success throughout the state, including where I serve at Chaffey College. We awarded more than 2,000 career and technical education degrees and certificates – programs under Strong Workforce – in May. This represents a nearly 40 percent increase from five years ago. And the success rates for our students taking these courses is about 10 percent higher than students taking other courses.
Q: What are the top six job areas in the Inland Empire?
A: Students interested in pursuing in-demand careers in this region should consider college majors that encompass:
- Advanced manufacturing – including industrial maintenance and robotics technicians, machinists, and welders
- Advanced transportation and logistics
- Business and entrepreneurship
- Energy, construction, and utilities
- Healthcare
- Information communication technology and digital media – including cybersecurity
Q: How are Strong Workforce programs different than other programs at community colleges?
A: Strong Workforce programs are intended to make students qualified for a job right after earning an associate’s degree or certificate. But they don’t have to stop there. These students have the option to continue on to earn bachelor’s and other advanced degrees for even better jobs.
Q: What lies in the future for the industry in the Inland Empire?
A: Our No. 1 industry here in the Inland Empire is logistics. The future of the logistics industry is automation, which is kind of scary because that means that some lower-skilled workers could lose their jobs. But we have alternatives for them to be retrained in a skillset that will allow them to feed their families. We can train them in mechatronics and industrial automation because that’s where it’s going. Then students can design, build and maintain that equipment.
Q: Can students actually get good jobs on associate’s degrees alone?
A: Yes. We’ve had students earn management positions in the auto industry, journalism internships with the Walt Disney Company, industrial electrical technician positions with California Steel Industries and more. And that’s just with an associate’s degree. Some of these students who have gone on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees have been hired or promoted to even higher-paying jobs in their chosen fields.
By Press Release
Tyler Ankrum World Wide Technology Raceway Race Preview

Headed West … Tyler Ankrum rolls into the “Gateway to the West” as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series invades the St. Louis area at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR). As five races remain before the playoffs begin, Saturday afternoon’s contest at WWTR marks a pivotal moment for the driver of the No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Ankrum currently resides 15th in the championship standings and hopes WWTR is the gateway to his third-career playoff berth.
HRE at WWTR … The San Bernardino, Calif. driver has four appearances under his belt at the St. Louis-area 1.25-mile egg-shaped oval. Ankrum made his debut at WWTR in 2019 and scored a best finish of 12th in 2020. The No. 16 team has had a steady track record in the St. Louis region since debuting there in 2017 with Ryan Truex. The HRE squad has put up one top-five, two top-10’s, and led laps in three of the five events, which included a third-place result in 2020.
Season to Date … Through 11 of 16 regular season events, Ankrum and the No. 16 team occupy the 15th position in the championship standings, 63 markers behind the cut line. Ankrum’s season-best result came eight races ago at Circuit of the Americas and he has posted three finishes of tenth or better in the 2023 season.
Chassis Selection … Chassis No. 008 will make it’s third start of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway. This Toyota Tundra TRD Pro made its last start at Darlington Raceway, where Ankrum would run around the top-10 most of the day, settling for a 15th place finish at the track too tough to tame.
Tune In … Fox Sports 1 has complete coverage of the Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway, beginning with practice and qualifying on Friday at 6:00 pm ET (FS1), followed by the green flag on Saturday at 1:30 pm ET (FS1). Stay connected with the No. 16 LiUNA! team by following @Hattori_Racing on Twitter, @hattoriracing on Instagram, and Hattori Racing Enterprises on Facebook.
Tyler Ankrum Quote on World Wide Technology Raceway:
“Gateway is such a unique racetrack from where we’ve been racing the last month or so. It’s like a big short track with flat corners, a lot of braking, and we’ll for sure need our LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro to turn in the center of the corners. It races similar to Phoenix, but Turns one and two are really tight while (turns) three and four are kind of wide and sweeping. Pit road is extremely narrow and how you get in and out of your box could be critical. Hopefully we can start to regain some points as we get closer to the playoffs.”
By Press Release
June 15th Foster Care & Adoption Virtual Online Orientation

Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more about becoming a foster or foster-adopt parent, join us on June 15th from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. for an English online virtual orientation. To sign up, visit https://www.all4kids.org/foster-care-and-adoption-inquiry-form/ or call 661-289-4231 or 833-983-2837, or email Rfrecruitment@all4kids.org and a link to the meeting will be sent to you.
A Spanish Zoom Orientation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on July 20th for those who prefer Spanish.
Children’s Bureau partners with over 200 foster-adoptive families annually to help at-risk youth by giving them a home that is nearby and inclusive to their foster siblings. Lisa and Michael began their foster-adoptive journey by providing a stable home to a sibling set of three, two girls and a boy. They worked to keep the family together and have experienced a bond like no other. “If adoption is in your future, there is no need to look any further than our surrounding county. So many local children need a family. If you are wanting to “make a difference” with your life, consider adopting from foster care. You could be saving generations,” said Lisa.
In the 1940’s, Children’s Bureau opened adoption services and found homes for refugee children orphans from World War II. The agency continues to meet the needs by offering a wide array of programs in areas related to adoption such as foster care, prevention, and mental health. Children’s Bureau has multiple locations operating throughout Southern California.
“Right now, children in San Bernardino County who have experienced trauma and have been separated from their birth family need our help,” says Leslie Oropeza, Children’s Bureau Director of Foster Care and Adoption. “We are looking for families who can open their homes and hearts to these children. Families who have extra space and the willingness to keep them together. Statistics show siblings kept together in foster care and adoption do better later in life.
They heal quicker from their trauma, have better attachments, and develop healthy self-images,” she adds.
Children’s Bureau welcomes all individuals regardless of race, age, religion, disability, marital status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression to become a resource for children. Qualifying families receive training and support throughout their journey. Foster Care and Adoption Programs are available in Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura counties.
For information about Children’s Bureau and the other critical services the agency provides , visit all4kids.org. To stay connected with Family Foster Care and Adoption services, visit www.all4kids.org/foster.
By Press Release
City of San Bernardino Receives SCAG Sustainability Award for Its Clean Fleet Policy

The City of San Bernardino has received the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Sustainability Award for Alternative Fuels and Infrastructure for its Zero Emission First – Clean Fleet Policy. The City was recognized at SCAG’s regional conference, held in Palm Desert. Mayor Helen Tran and Council Member Damon Alexander were on hand to receive the award.
“We are pleased and honored to be recognized by SCAG for our Clean Fleet Policy,” said San Bernardino Council Member Damon Alexander, who also sits on the SCAG Regional Council. “It not only speaks to San Bernardino’s commitment to sustainability but is a roadmap to make a difference.”
The award was one of seven sustainability awards presented by SCAG recognizing excellence and innovation to improve mobility, livability, prosperity, and sustainability. SCAG is the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization, encompassing six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura), 191 cities, and 19 million people in an area covering more than 38,000 square miles.
San Bernardino’s Clean Fleet Policy was unanimously adopted by the City Council on December 7, 2022. It serves as the City’s first initiative to reduce emissions from its daily operations. The policy establishes a framework for transitioning the City’s fleet from gas powered vehicles to zero to low-emission vehicles. The policy represents San Bernardino’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
The core objectives of San Bernardino’s Clean Fleet Policy include:
- Procure new and replace existing fleet vehicles with alternative fuel vehicles, with a focus on procuring all electric vehicles.
- Optimize the fleet size by eliminating unused or underused vehicles through review and evaluation of vehicle utilization and redundancy reports.
- Limit the procurement of gasoline and/or diesel-powered vehicles.
- Execute a plan to expand the network of charging stations city-wide.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants through the elimination of fossil fuel combustion.
- Decrease costs associated with fleet vehicle operations, which can be reinvested into the community.
The Clean Fleet Policy is the first of a series of strategies and initiatives the San Bernardino intends to pursue to support the City’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions in its operations.
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