In Rare Visit to Redding, Newsom Unveils Educational Initiative that will Broaden Employment Opportunities in Rural Counties
Governor Gavin Newsom outlined a “Master Plan” that could vastly improve the educational and economic playing field across California, especially in the North State. His presence in Shasta County also ignited longstanding tensions between local and state leadership.
A group of reporters from across the North State gathered at a Shasta Community College welding lab on December 15, to hear Governor Gavin Newsom announce a new state initiative that broadens employment and educational opportunities throughout California. Members of the “credentialed media” who were invited to attend were met by modest security as they entered the facility where Newsom’s production team was setting up.
The Governor’s formal business attire contrasted starkly with the power tools that surrounded him, setting the stage for the reason behind his visit to Redding: a “new framework” to incentivize job development in industrial and public service fields statewide.
Newsom plans to invest more than $100 million into what he is calling California’s “Master Plan for Career Education.” The initiative is designed to cultivate “career pathways” toward sustainable employment for more Californians by removing four-year degree requirements from some state government jobs. It also establishes a digital “career passport” database or Learning and Employment Record (LER) which Californians can use with employers to present a singular accessible record of both academic transcripts and “verified skills” earned outside the classroom, including volunteering or apprenticeships.
Before Newsom spoke, several individuals from Shasta and the surrounding counties shared personal experiences about their experiences with education in California’s rural communities. Among them was a young firefighter cadet and recent graduate of Shasta College, who has become one of the only female graduates from the College’s Fire Fighter 1 & 2 Academy.
Newly-elected Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick also spoke, describing the difficulties she experienced becoming the first person in her family to attend a university as the child of a single mother growing up in an isolated community.
“I am from Modoc County,” Hadwick explained as she advocated for career education. “I live three hours from a Costco. It is very rural, and career pathways are what we have to show our youth what’s out there.”
Increasing accessibility to higher education and a living wage to those without a typical post-secondary educational trajectory is likely to have a significant impact on the North State’s workforce. According to the US Census, 76.7% of Shasta County residents do not have a bachelor’s degree, which is statistically speaking, a barrier to accruing personal wealth over one’s lifetime. If the Governor’s initiative is implemented as planned, an expanded field of employment opportunities will be within reach for the vast majority of the County.
As Governor Newsom broke down the mechanics of the plan, which is based in part on California’s original 1960’s-era Master Plan for Higher Education, he emphasized that the new bipartisan initiative will ensure local control in its implementation. In Shasta County, some specific local considerations are the area’s higher than average poverty rate, and sociocultural resistance to higher education, as documented in Shasta Scout’s prior reporting.
Newsom acknowledged his own unfamiliarity with life in rural communities, briefly joking with the gaggle of reporters that he “didn’t know anyone lived three hours from a Costco in the United States of America,” in reference to Assemblywoman Headwick’s earlier remarks. He then addressed the differences between rural and urban communities more seriously.
“I say this often, and I’ll say it again–localism is determinative”, Newsom said, adding that parts of the Master Plan’s strategy will be developed alongside locals to meet the North State’s specific needs. “This is not a patronizing plan.”
When asked whether the change of guard in Washington this January will effect the Master Plan, Newsom responded that he and President Elect Donald Trump had “gotten along very well during COVID–notoriously so,” but cautioned that the Trump Administration’s stated goal of “virtually closing” the federal Department of Education would “be a wrecking ball to education here in the North State.”
The reaction to the Governor’s visit from the Shasta County’s highly conservative leadership has been mixed. While Hadwick, along with Shasta College’s President Frank Nigro and other North State representatives have reacted positively, Shasta County CEO David Rickert released a statement Monday articulating his “disappointment” in the Governor’s alleged failure to include any local elected officials during his visit.
Board of Supervisors Kevin Crye also weighed in Newsom’s appearance, which he characterized as “secretive” in a Facebook Live on Monday evening. Noting that Supervisor-elect Matt Plummer was invited to attend Newsom’s event, Crye said he “respects” Plummer’s decision to attend, and suggested that he also would have made an appearance, if invited.
“Yeah, I probably would have went… but I would have definitely spoken my mind,” Crye said before also expressing skepticism about Newsom’s motivations behind the Master Plan.
“I don’t think Gavin Newsom has any desire whatsoever of helping our County whether it’s around water rights, whether it’s around fire… all this was, in my opinion, was an attempt to get some elected Republicans standing behind him.”
A representative from the Governor’s office told Shasta Scout in request for comment that “our office invited or informed local elected officials–across party lines” as per “standard protocol.”
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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It’s amazing that when a Governor, regardless of party affiliation, comes to Shasta County. The Reddest of Necks come out of the woodworks and slam their visit regardless of the reason. Too bad you can’t see the value of this meeting and the funds behind it for the North State counties. Just a head-in-sand attitude. Apparently, some of those commenters on this thread are part of the 76.7% without a BA…neve too late to go back and get a little learnin’. BTW, CA is the 5th largest economy in the world and not bankrupt.
What was disgraced fired ex Redding police chief Rob Paoletti doing standing behind the governor?
A hundred million? With all the special hiring going on, this just plays into that continued pit that has made our State such a disaster. No more degrees needed to get the jobs which will continue to not keep up with inflation. You have to ask where the money really goes. What a joke. This feels like a push to bring more unqualified people in to take jobs from accredited professionals. Probably lesser pay. Interesting how his visit was hidden from Conservatives so well. Anyway, Gavin is a creep and a sell out to the Chinese Communist Party. What he did in San Francisco for China, but doesn’t do for America is unacceptable. He will not last much longer. He must make Jerry Brown feel pretty good, because Jerry is no longer the worst Governor in California History. Newscum takes that title away from him with ease.
AND you need $100,000 million to inpliment this ……………………..
The Department of education is history! It will not affect anybody, but it’s employees who have failed miserably! Shasta County and many other counties can survive on their own without the state or the federal government “educating us” billions if not trillions of dollars have been spent in the de-education of our most precious cargo!
So typical of the liberal media, sniffing the crotch of the slick, headed, liar, dangling, shiny pretty objects to mesmerize them into kissing his ass! Congratulations!
The DOE obviously failed you.
JD…Your Grinch-like/anti-public education comment is not surprising. All decisions of this nature will require the vote of both houses in DC…too soon to bet the DOE will be eliminated. Watch Moderate Republicans not vote for this.
“Sociocultural resistance” to higher education describes too clearly the lack of interest and support for education and job training for higher level job opportunities. Too many people, especially kids in high school, give up on their ambitions and settle for minimum wage employment that simply does not meet their needs. Sorry to say, logging and lumber industries are nearly dead end now, and most beginning wage jobs are in fast food or discount retail trade. Education is THE KEY to higher earnings as well as rewarding jobs.
This was pretty obviously a propaganda move designed to document him visiting rural communities Trump never said that he was going to dismantle abolish or remove the Department of Education.
It is a standard ply of politicians like him to take money away from us and then make themselves look good by “giving it back”.
He does have political aspirations though and he’s good at it he makes “Slick Willy” look clumsy.
Removing educational requirements for certain jobs is a poor excuse for not recognizing the shift.
It appears that he said more money for Education and less education required for jobs.
Oh, and he is not spending any of his money he’s spending $100 million of your 💰 money.
Tony: I think he said it . . . .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zxfnqj_3XQ
The public’s resounding rejection of their ideology is forcing ‘progressives’ to play the red fiddle. It’s what happens when a political movement faces criticism, electoral losses, or declining public support. And no one is better at reframing or shifting focus.
Career Pathways? That program has been in the north state schools for a long time. I taught under this program in Lassen County. Since our state is now bankrupt, how will Newsome get the money? Also, did he say how ending the Department of Education would impact the north state? I don’t see the connection? In any event, it seems like his secret visit was a waste of time and money.
As MAGA snivels “we weren’t invited” one has to laugh. Nothing about our local MAGA is bipartisan or interested in working across the isle. Why would anyone think supporters of secession from California, who support a court adjudicated sexual abuser (the judge called it rape…) convicted 34 count felon who bragged about “grabing women by the vagina” and is wanting to cut education, think they and they, and their white nationalist militia would be invited to meet the governor?
What? No “Citizen Journalists” invited either. Wonder why? So, Crye would have “spoken his mind” if invited? And he wondered why he wasn’t.