Economic Development Division

07/08/2021

California is Open!!
On June 15th, Governor Gavin Newsom declared the State of California to be open for business. For many companies, this news comes as a mixed blessing. while businesses welcome the increase in customers and revenue, they also are having to adjust to a new reality...a shortage of employees. If your company is struggling to find people consider the following options:
1) College Students: Many of theses students are eager to work, and are looking for experience to build their resume. COC has dozens of students who may be available for employment.
2) Veterans: There are thousands of Veterans seeking meaningful employment. If your company has an opening that involves problem-solving and teamwork, consider those who have served our nation.
3) Formerly incarcerated: The America's Job Center gets a steady number of people seeking employment. Many of these individuals are hungry for work, and want to provide themselves in the workplace.
4) COC Career Services: If you have an opening, gives COC a call. We will work with you on posting your position on our job board, and get the word out to the community regarding your opportunity. Our Job Placement Director is Keri Aaver. She can be reached at [email protected].

05/14/2021

BOOM!! Customers are Back!

Governor Gavin Newsom has chosen June 15th as the date for the complete reopening of the economy in California. But customers are not waiting for June...the BOOM is on, as consumers take over restaurants, hotels, and bars in a mad dash to break free from the isolation of the pandemic. Here's a question: Is your company ready for the surge? Do you have the right people? Do you have enough people? Are they trained in how to deliver customer service? If your answer to any of these questions, is "no" or "not sure" then you may want to give your friends at College of the Canyons a call. We have dozens of talented students looking for work; we also partner with the America's Job Center of California which has a pool of candidates seeking employment. Our Employee Training Institute offers a an award-winning customer service course for employees for all types of companies in Santa Clarita. Let us work with you in getting the people you need to manage the BOOM. Contact Keri Aaver at [email protected] to learn more about resources available to your company.

04/07/2021

Finding Good People in a Post-COVID Economy

Vaccinations are up...COVID cases are down. That's good news. But for many companies, the challenge is no longer keeping people safe, instead, it is finding good people. As we look towards the end of this troubling chapter in our nation's history, how does your company find good people to ramp up its operations as the country moves back to a "normal" pattern of consumption and work? The key is knowing where to look. I recommend the following demographic groups:
1) Women: During the pandemic, women have suffered job loss in numbers far greater than their male counterparts. As the economy rebounds, they will be seeking to re-enter the workforce. This presents an outstanding opportunity for your company to take advantage of this trend by offering training and onboarding activities that will allow this demographic to feel welcomed and valued.
2) Veterans: There are thousands of Veterans who have gained valuable skills that can be translated to industries such as logistics, manufacturing, information technology and allied health. If you are looking for good people, I strongly encourage you to consider those who have served our nation. In working with Veterans, I have found them to be focused and loyal as employees. Your company will be enriched by including in your hiring strategy.
3) Minorities: There is a significant pool of talented minorities who are ready to go to work. They come from a variety of backgrounds, and some have work experience that makes them a hot commodity for an employers.

If you need assistance in looking for talent, contact the Economic Development Division at College of the Canyons. Keri Aaver, our Placement Director can work with you on how to post your openings and find talent among Women, Veterans and Minorities who are ready to work for you. She can be reached at [email protected].

04/06/2021

NASA HASP & RockSat Programs launch again!
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Launched in 2016, the College of the Canyons Aerospace and Sciences Team (AST)—which includes High Altitude Student Payload (HASP) and RockSat-X—continues to secure its positive reputation of being selected for space flight on NASA student platforms and successfully competing at the university l...

03/09/2021

Perseverance: Your Company's Greatest Asset

As our nation begins to recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19, business owners are still uncertain about their future. Revenues are still a challenge, and for some, the online business model has not been as rewarding as advertised. What does a company do in these difficult times? They persevere. In times like these, perseverance is the greatest asset available to a small business. There are five things your company can do now to endure one of nations most challenging times:
1. Continue to cut expenses: Leases, staff, utilities, and related need to be trimmed as much as possible. Also, try to defer other expenses until June or July when things are expected to get better.
2. Access financial assistance: The 2nd round of the PPP program is available now, and a 3rd version is due to come out in a couple of weeks. If you are a business with less than 20 employees and you had a personal income of less than $75,000 in 2019, then you are due to receive $1,400 in stimulus payments, and your company will be eligible for up $2 million dollars in funding that is convertible to a grant. This could be the lifeline to keep you company on solid financial footing over the next few months.
3. Call the Small Business Development Center at COC; If you need coaching, financing, marketing or other services, please contact the Small Business Development Center at COC. Here is the link: https://buff.ly/30tMOZK

Times are tough, but for those companies that persevere, the benefits will be worth it. Let COC help your company get through these troubling times.

The SBDC is the SBA’s largest service program and provides high quality business & economic development assistance to small businesses & entrepreneurs. We provide no-cost business advising and low-cost training to existing and new businesses.

02/04/2021

New Low Observables Technician Pathway

The Low Observables Technician Program (LO) is a Work Force Development Partnership between Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) and College of Canyons (COC). Over the last few decades, stealth technology has proven to be an effective approach to hide from radar systems and LO is now considered for all new aircraft designs and existing aircraft are considered for modifications/upgrades.

The LO course at COC is originally developed by NGC and aims to train and develop students and prospective new hires for NGC and other interested companies. The course format will be mixed asynchronous (online/self-paced) and synchronous (instructor led) and be delivered by instructors who are Subject Matter Experts in LO technology and application.

By the end of the training curriculum, students will have a fundamental understanding of the Low Observables career series and basic Low Observable techniques to the NGC standard of quality. They will demonstrate proficiency in the Virtual Reality Sprayer training platform. Additionally, students will have gained a fundamental understanding of the safety precautions for working around aircraft industrial areas and gained a fundamental understanding of Agile project management principles, Earned Value Management (EMS), and Continuous Process Improvement.

More Information on the program will be announced soon at

Employee Training Institute provides customized training in most technical skills and business topics such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and many others

11/18/2020

The pandemic has negatively impacted businesses across every industry sector. However, one issue that has not changed is the need for good people. The number one call that I get from companies during this pandemic, is a request for qualified people to fill immediate openings. To increase your likelihood of finding good people during a pandemic, start with the Job Description:
1) Make sure your Job Description is clear and concise, and that the job expectations experience requirements are stated clearly and succinctly.
2) Share a couple of reasons why your company is an excellent place to work. Do you provide health insurance? Paid vacation? Profit Sharing? Flexible Shifts? Etc.
3) If a resume is required, please state it in bold letters. If an application is sufficient, make sure that candidates can complete it online. If you are paying a wage that is above scale, make sure you share that as well.
4) Work with local entities that can help you spread the word about your job opening. In Santa Clarita, these include College of the Canyons (COC), the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) and the America's Job Center of California (AJCC).
For assistance in posting your job openings at COC, please contact Keri Aaver at [email protected].

10/29/2020

Finding Good People During a Pandemic

The pandemic has negatively impacted businesses across every industry sector. However, one issue that has not changed is the need for good people. The number one call that I get from companies during this pandemic, is a request for qualified people to fill immediate openings. To increase your likelihood of finding good people during a pandemic, start with the Job Description:
1) Make sure your Job Description is clear and concise, and that the job expectations experience requirements are stated clearly and succinctly.
2) Share a couple of reasons why your company is an excellent place to work. Do you provide health insurance? Is there paid vacation? Profit Sharing? Flexible Shifts? All of this information should be included.
3) If a resume is required, please state it in bold letters. If an application is sufficient, make sure that candidates can complete it online. If you are paying a wage that is above scale, make sure you share that information as well.
4) Work with local entities that can help you spread the word about your job opening. In Santa Clarita, these include College of the Canyons (COC), the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC) and the America's Job Center of California (AJCC).
Running a company during a pandemic is hard enough; we at COC want to do all we can to assist you in finding the people you need to make it through these tough times. For assistance in posting your job openings at COC, please contact Keri Aaver at [email protected].

09/10/2020

Santa Clarita National Association of Social Work-CA Unit in collaboration with the Health Workforce Initiative (Powered by California Community Colleges) and William S. Hart Union High School District Therapeutic Counseling Department, hosted a 6-hour training on Su***de Risk Assessment and Intervention for 129 mental health professionals in the community. Participants were provided training from LA County Department of Mental Health’s Mental Evaluation Team (MET) and School Threat Assessment Response Team (START), Henry Mayo social worker Alissa Myatt, LCSW, Curt Widhalm, LMFT, who presented on legal and ethical aspects of suicidality, as well as the Hart District Therapeutic Counseling Department who rounded out the training by highlighting developmental, family, and LGBTQ implications of su***de prevention, assessment, and intervention. For more
information please contact Irene Ornelas at [email protected]
***deawareness ***deprevention

09/09/2020

COC to Launch "Foundations of Cyber Security" Certificate
COVID-19 has impacted every area of American life. This is especially true in the area of Cybersecurity. To respond to this crisis, College of the Canyons has developed a "Foundations of Cybersecurity." This program is specifically designed to provide the basic knowledge required for someone to begin formalized training as Cybersecurity Analyst. For Aerospace and Defense companies, this program will prepare their employees to take part in our premier apprenticeship program that teaches individuals how to develop the key documents to help their companies comply with the NIST 800-171 standards. The "Foundations" training consists of the following classes: Time Management, CompTIA A+, and CompTIA Network+. To learn more contact Jeffrey Forrest, Vice-President of Economic and Workforce Development with College of the Canyons at [email protected].

08/11/2020

Small Businesses benefit from LA County CARES Act calls for 1.2 billion

If you are a micro-business, freelancer, or small business we have good news. On July 21st, LA County announced its version of the CARES Act to support a number of communities negatively impacted by the Coronavirus. Here are the details:
Total Amount of LA CARES Act Funding: $1.22 billion

Support for Small Businesses Affected by COVID:
• $160 million for small business grants countywide. These funds will support small businesses including: micro-entrepreneurs (such as artists) as well as nonprofits such as child care providers. Services will be provided primarily by the Departments of Consumer and Business Affairs, Workforce Development and Community Services and the County’s Development Authority
• $1 million for outdoor dining variance permit fee waivers in Unincorporated Areas (Public Works)

To see how you can apply for this funding contact one of the following:
LA County Consumer and Business Affairs: https://buff.ly/2XLcNv6 Workforce Development and Community Services: https://buff.ly/2wyJsJL

07/14/2020

Jeffrey Forrest, VP of Economic and Workforce Development at College of the Canyons spoke to more than 200 employees at AMS Fulfillment on the issue of race, protests and the murder of George Floyd. The message was entitled, “The George Floyd Legacy: A Wake-up Call to America.” Jeffrey shared the pain of systemic racism and called for the audience to create a nation of equity and justice. In addition, Ken Wiseman, Chief of Workforce Development Programs at AMS, spoke about the need to be a light in the midst of darkness. He also encouraged the staff that AMS will be taking concrete measures to provide a workplace that is free of discrimination and bias. Over one hundred of the employees made signs, expressing their thoughts about the recent developments in our nation. Through this event, AMS sent a clear message of its commitment to equality, and we are proud to have been a part of this event.