Newsom Outlines Plan to Help Non–Degree Holders Access Jobs

California governor Gavin Newsom on Monday unveiled his California Master Plan for Career Education, a new framework for creating well-paying jobs for Californians—especially those without a degree, the Los Angeles Times reported. About 37.5 percent of Californians have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The plan’s core strategies include:

• Bringing together educators, job training providers and employers to evaluate workforce needs and develop plans to address those needs;
• Launching a digital “career passport” for workers to store and present their credentials;
• Developing “career pathways,” including access to internships, apprenticeships, experiential learning and dual-enrollment courses for high school and college students;
• Expanding affordable workforce training opportunities, especially for people with disabilities, English-language learners, youth who are neither working nor attending school, and first-generation students.

The state will also double the number of state government jobs that do not require a degree, including research, analyst and informational technology positions, and will adjust custodian positions to no longer require a high school diploma.