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Employer Participation Options

Your Company and the OCRC 

  • What is the OCRC
    • The Orange County Regional Consortium (OCRC) consists of 28 community colleges. It serves as a regional framework to communicate, coordinate, collaborate, promote and plan a career and technical education, and workforce and economic development system in the Orange County Region.

      In today’s world, community colleges play a leading and vital role in preparing students to enter a rapidly changing employment landscape. Calibrated training and specialized skills are particularly needed for students to succeed in Orange County’s highly competitive, knowledge-driven industries.

      This effort aims to systematically create more and better quality work-based learning opportunities for students by engaging and inspiring employers and educators to invest in training our next generation of workers. This is especially crucial in a region that has become a major hub for emerging industries and new work models that are fueling future job growth.

What are the benefits of my company’s participation?

  • The OCRC is a direct response to the ongoing skills gap that can exert a drag on the local economy and frustrate employers as they seek to hire qualified and experienced candidates. By opening their place of business to students and providing them with high-value, work-based learning opportunities, employers are able to expose students to their business and industry and benefit from productive student work. Employers can observe potential future employees in a “long-term interview” context and participate in shaping their future workforce by connecting with college faculty and the classroom. Students also provide access to a customer resource and a fresh point of view. An employer benefits from a more productive and engaged workforce and by offering leadership and supervisory skills development opportunities to its current workers.

    The OCRC is first and foremost an opportunity for companies to support and develop highly skilled and productive future potential employees. Participation in OCRC also helps build awareness of the employer’s role in the community and offers a public relations benefit.

Why is the OCRC important for students, schools and my community?

  • Fast track students and their personal career goals.
    • Students pursue a career pathway focused on their long-term goals through a course of study with an area community college, which provides an incentive to persist and complete their education. They earn an industry-recognized credential and/or graduate with an AA/AS degree, direct workplace experience with partner employers and a firm foundation for entry into the workforce.
  • Promote better outcomes for schools and increase college completion rates.
    • OCRC helps our community colleges deliver a 21st century education. The community college structure provides multiple pathways for students, incentives for project-based and applied learning and opportunities for cross-disciplinary integration in the classroom. It offers students the chance to explore a career path while preparing them to become contributing members of their community. Participation in an OCRC career pathway expands the college’s awareness of the economy and increases educator knowledge of area businesses and jobs as well as an understanding of the challenges industry faces.
  • Strengthen communities.
    • It helps align education, workforce and service systems to promote a strong economic future and build an engaged citizenry. The OCRC provides a robust local talent pipeline and helps the local economy grow and retain its workforce.