By Nicole Gregory, contributing writer

Facing challenges in the Southern California job market, people seeking employment, promotions or a change in career might improve their skills through Cal State Fullerton’s extension programs. Registration is open this summer.

“It’s a great time to get ahead in the workplace while others may be on vacation,” said Debbie Vengco, director of marketing and enrollment management for extension and international programs.

One example is the Biomanufacturing Technician Program, which begins Aug. 29.

Debbie Vengco, director of marketing and enrollment management for extension and international programs at Cal State Fullerton (Courtesy of CSUF News Media Services)

“We created this program to address the need for entry-level biomanufacturing technicians in Southern California,” Vengco said, adding it is ideal for college and high school students who have a strong STEM background.

Like many skill-focused extension programs, this one came out of a university-business partnership and a need for qualified workers.

“A consortium was formed comprised of three California State University campuses — Fullerton, Los Angeles and Long Beach — and Biocom California Institute, which provides workforce development tools and courses for more than 1,700 member companies in California,” Vengco said. “Our goal is to produce skilled workers for Southern California’s biotech sector.”

Each of the three CSU campuses will offer a different course for this program. The benefit of the consortium is the distinctive subject matter expertise each campus provides, according to Vengco.

“Biocom endorses the completion of all three modules as a recognized pathway to entry-level positions in biomanufacturing. Digital badges are earned after each of the three courses and the entire certificate is completed,” she said.

The Cal State Fullerton course was created by associate professor in mechanical engineering Sagil James and covers materials, processes and technologies within biomanufacturing. A 2022 Biocom Economic Impact Report revealed that biotechnology in Orange County had a high year-over-year growth rate of 18.9%. There were 2,356 life-science establishments in Orange County, offering an average wage of $105,298, Vengco said.

Another popular extension program is Human Resources Management. No prerequisite or degree is needed for this. “People who want to ascend to director need this training in every industry,” said Vengco, who took this program herself. All the instructors are working professionals in their fields and include entrepreneurs who’ve started their own companies and have had to deal with new laws related to human resources. “This is a very topical subject for people working in any industry,” she added.

The Lean Six Sigma Program was created for people who already work in production and manufacturing and want to gain better control of their operations by minimizing waste and maximizing efficiencies and operations, Vengco said. Some jobs require employees to take courses such as this one for certification before a promotion is possible.

Another offering is the Teacher Induction Program, designed for teachers who’ve completed one year of teaching and need their credential to continue. The program meets the updated California Commission on Teacher Credentialing requirements for earning a Clear Multiple Subject, Single Subject or Education Specialist Credential.

Cal State Fullerton’s extension program also includes the OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute for retired active seniors who simply enjoy learning.  A membership fee is required for access to a wide range of classes OSHER offers, including drawing, tap dancing and poker strategies.

Most of the extension programs are aimed at teaching specific skills needed for employment in the SoCal region, and more are being planned by Vengco and her team for the near future.

“We are working on finalizing the course design for a new course titled Open Source Intelligence Gathering and Analysis in our revised Crime and Intelligence Analysis certificate that will be offered this fall of 2023,” Vengco said. “We will also add a new instructor with working expertise to our program to keep us on the cutting edge of the crime and intelligence industry.”

This program can serve as training for people who already work in the police force or the FBI and for those looking to switch careers.ram. They hope to go live with this program in spring 2024.

Also, Vengco and her team also plan to launch a graduate certificate in Marketing Analytics that may apply to the CSUF MBA prog in the pipeline is a new Accelerated MS in Applied Computer Science degree program that can be completed in one and a half years. “It was created due to the technology industry demand in software development and engineering leadership roles,” Vengco said. The application period will open Oct. 1.

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