College and Career Readiness

The College and Career Readiness department is dedicated to empowering and preparing students in our region for successful transitions to post-secondary education, training, and the workforce.

Part of the San Joaquin County Office of Education’s STEM, Workforce Development, and Innovation department, College and Career Readiness aims to assist students, educators, and school districts through a range of comprehensive, equitable, and innovative college and career readiness programs, services, and support.

By strengthening collaboration between K-12 schools, higher education institutions, apprenticeships, and training programs, the department helps streamline the transition process and promote access for all students. Additionally, the department fosters partnerships with local businesses and industries to provide relevant career exploration and work-based learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships and internships, to build a workforce-ready applicant pool that meets the needs of our county.

Support Career Technical Education (CTE)

If you are a business or industry professional who would like to connect with CTE programs in our county and are interested in providing work-based learning opportunities for students, please contact the San Joaquin County Office of Education College and Career Readiness department.

Opportunity Locator Map

Learn more about the Career Technical Education (CTE) programs offered by school districts throughout the county at Go San Joaquin (GoSJ) at GoSJ.org. GoSJ is a one-stop shop for San Joaquin County students to find growth opportunities, like CTE and training programs. At GoSJ, students can also explore California’s 15 industry sectors and 58 pathways, link to a career interest survey, search job outlooks, and download a worksheet to help facilitate conversations about CTE with their school counselor.

Visit Go San Joaquin at GoSJ.org

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Services and Resources

Registered Apprenticeships

College Readiness

The following links are helpful in learning more about college admissions, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities, as well as the California School Dashboard College and Career Readiness Indicator.

College Admissions & Resources

Financial Aid and Scholarship Websites

College Assessment Exams

California School Dashboard and System of Support

California School Dashboard - College and Career Indicator

Career Technical Education (CTE)

Career Technical Education (CTE) programs equip high school students with academic, technical, and job skills through hands-on training in the classroom guided by the Standards for Career Ready Practice. CTE also gives students the skills needed to compete in today's job market and thrive in their future careers by providing exposure to the workplace through apprenticeships, industry tours, internships, job shadowing, and more.

Students participating in CTE programs also have a unique opportunity to join a vibrant community in career and technical student organizations. These organizations fuel leadership skills while helping students create positive connections and build a supportive network that further supports their success.

In San Joaquin County, our school districts provide a variety of CTE programs that meet the needs of students and industry alike. Many of the programs align with our local community colleges' certificate and degree offerings and allow students to earn college credits - through articulation and dual enrollment - alongside their diplomas, which saves students time and money on their paths to in-demand careers. Learn more about school district CTE pathways at GoSJ.org.

Agriculture and Environmental Technology

Everyone relies on agriculture - it’s a part of our everyday lives. And here in San Joaquin County, we are immersed in the rich farmland and agriculture industry that surrounds us. That’s why, here at the San Joaquin County Office of Education, we’re passionate about empowering the next generation to become environmentally conscious leaders and skilled professionals in the vital field of agriculture.

We recognize the importance of the agricultural industry and its impact on our local economy and we believe that our county’s students deserve and must have access to opportunities that expose them to agriculture education and agriculture-centered events and activities. Our College and Career Readiness Department collaborates with local partners and supports schools and districts within our region to advance agriculture education. The team also supports educators who aspire to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms. This includes creating agriculture-based lessons, starting a school garden, and promoting agricultural literacy.

Annual Agriculture Student Events

Ag Careers Summit

Organized by the San Joaquin County Office of the Agricultural Commissioner and SJCOE College and Career Readiness and supported by community partners, the San Joaquin County Ag Careers Summit brings nearly 150 high school students from across the county together to explore the wide variety of agricultural careers- ranging from Ag Business to Ag Sales to Animal Science. Along with activities and opportunities to learn, students meet with industry professionals and hear from agricultural professionals who do the work every day. For more information on this event, please email cfuso@sjcoe.net.

San Joaquin County AgVenture

There’s nothing quite like a day on the farm! San Joaquin County AgVenture is a county-sponsored agriculture and nutrition education program for third graders. AgVenture teaches our youngest consumers about the county’s booming agriculture industry and nutrition education through four strategically located AgVenture field days each school year in Lodi, Manteca, Stockton, and Tracy. The program is comprised of hands-on displays about agriculture and nutrition education. Annually, approximately 10,000 students and hundreds of chaperones benefit from this free program. For more information, please email AgVenture Coordinator Krista McCoon at sjcagventure@yahoo.com.

Student Organizations

National FFA

FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. It is an extracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. It is one of the three components of agricultural education. Members are future farmers, chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders, teachers, and premier professionals in many career fields. FFA develops the members’ potential and helps them discover their talent through hands-on experiences, which gives members the tools to achieve real-world success. Learn more at the FFA website.

California FFA and Agriculture Education

The California FFA Association is a high school youth leadership and career development organization that is a state association of the National FFA Organization, a federally chartered corporation under Public Law 105-225. To join FFA, you must be enrolled in an agriculture course at your school. Contact your school counselor or agriculture teacher to enroll in an agricultural education program and join FFA! If there’s not a chapter in your area, learn how to start one by visiting the California Agricultural Education - FFA Leadership webpage.

Resources

CTE Funding Resources

Resources for Educators

Apprenticeships Reaching Career Horizons (ARCH) - See "Registered Apprenticeships" tab on this page.

Resources for Students

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Contact Information

For more information about this page, please call 209-292-2693.

Katie Wipfli
Division Director

Iris Ruelas
Administrative Assistant