Career & Technical Education

Workforce Development and Applied Sciences

In order to compete in today's fast-paced, globalized economy, you need the knowledge and skills only formal education can provide.  Not only do those with more education tend to make more money, they also have more fulfilling careers.  At Merritt College (MC), we are committed to providing you with the education you need to successfully compete for the job and career of your choice.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) prepares you with the basic skills, knowledge and competencies to compete for entry level professional employment opportunities, typically within one to four semesters of full-time enrollment at Merritt College.

Workforce Development (WD) programs are designed to develop programs for students and business\industry professionals to further enhance their knowledge and skills necessary for career advancement. Through CTE to WD course offerings, Merritt College offers a comprehensive educational curriculum for almost any business-related career path.

Applied Sciences (AS) departments, including biology, chemistry, nursing, mathematics and physical sciences provide the broad based analytical education necessary to be successful in any technical and/or scientific career

The chart below provides useful information regarding the job market and programs of study at Merritt College.  Please click on the Degrees & Majors in the right column below to see Merritt programs offered in each department that corresponds to specific jobs by industrial sector listed below.

Gina La Monica, Ed.D.

"The mission of all our Division II departments and programs at Merritt College is to provide you with the best education to help you find, thrive and be successful in the business or technical career path of your choice.  Whether you are seeking your first job or a busy working professional searching for ways to enhance your career, we offer you the broad range of courses designed to suit your needs and interests.  Please let me know what I can do to help."   Dean Gina La Monica, Division II

Dean La Monica has previously served as Dean and faculty member at various community colleges and universities throughout California.

Helpful links:

ASSIST: Get transfer and Majors Info: Useful site to obtain transfer information and explore various majors. (http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html).

Bay Area Career Center:  Great local networking site to get advice and tips from professionals in the bay area. (http://www.bayareacareercenter.com/CAB/).

BLS General Occupational Job Descriptions:  To learn abouut various job titles, check out this Bureau of Labor Statistics website (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/) and use the Occupation Finder Tool.

California Career and Job information: To explore career options and find a job in California, check out this website (http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/).

California Job Seekers: To find a job in California, start here (http://www.caljobs.ca.gov/).

California Reality Check: Find out how much various careers earn and how much money you will need to satisfy your desired lifestyle at this website (http://www.californiarealitycheck.org/).

California Workforce Development: For the link to our collaborating training partners, click on this website (http://www.cccewd.net/).

Career and Job Exploration: For a useful web portal, check out this U.S. Department of Labor website (http://www.careeronestop.org/).

Career Self-Assessment Tool:  For employment and training administration programs, check out this website: (http://www.doleta.gov/jobseekers/).

Doing What Matters:  Good website to see updated labor market statistics in the East Bay.  (http://http://doingwhatmatters.cccco.edu/givepriority/eastbay.aspx)

Top 10 Paying Blue Collar Jobs:  To see the top U.S. paying blue collar jobs, check this site (http://money.msn.com/personal-finance/10-top-paying-us-blue-collar-jobs).

Who do you want to be?:  Real students talk about their majors, colleges and career paths in video format.  Check it out here (http://www.whodoyouwant2b.com/).

_{updated: 7/17/12}