About

Overview

The California Community College system was built around the idea that higher education should be available to everyone. Calbright is a new and unique part of this important educational system.

Calbright is a digital college that focuses on careers, not credentials. We use a combination of online classes, mobile apps, and in-person apprenticeships to provide working adults with the skills they need to move into higher paying jobs. Courses can be taken on each person’s own timeline and from wherever is most convenient.

Hiring managers are provided with a reliable pool of qualified applicants whom they can get to know from the start of the learning process.

Our model builds confidence on both sides: adult learners prepare for roles with both the technical skill set they need for the job, and the leadership and communication skills they need to help build a strong and lasting team. Put simply, we’re a new kind of California Community College, designed to deliver career preparation that is fast, focused, and free or very low cost to learners. Calbright is changing the way we do education.

The Californians we seek to reach cannot stop working to get the education they need to get ahead, and many of them juggle multiple jobs to feed their families. As much as we would like to, we cannot will them onto our campuses. We need to rethink traditional delivery models and pedagogies and meet this population where and when they are ready to gain skills and credentials.

Eloy Ortiz Oakley

California Community Colleges Chancellor

Who We’ll Serve

The new college is designed to meet the needs of two distinct groups: working adults and hiring managers.

In California, there are more than 8 million “stranded” workers, that is, people who describe themselves as stuck in “go nowhere” jobs. Additionally, 25% of working adults living in poverty already have some sort of experience with college.

We recognize that in order to place people into better paying jobs, we also need the help of employers.

We have connected with hiring managers and working adults all over California to design a college that serves both sides. For all of the millions of underserved and ignored Californians, we hear you, and we’re here for you.

Mission

Calbright College increases economic mobility for working adults who lack easy access to traditional forms of higher education. We offer flexible, free skills-based programs that provide tangible economic value for both working adults and their future hiring managers.

Vision

We at Calbright College envision a California in which everyone who strives for a brighter future for themselves and their families can achieve it.

Values

Calbright College is guided by the values of integrity, partnership, possibility, equity, and dignity in all its internal and external work

Promise

Prepare
We prepare some of the 8 million Californians who feel stuck in “go-nowhere” jobs for careers with a future, and we do it through online classes, mobile apps, and apprenticeships.

Promote
We support and promote our adult learners from pre-registration, through learning, career preparation, career placement, and into post-employment.

Place
We place adult learners who have demonstrated job competency and readiness to work with employers who are excited to hire them for lasting, well-paying careers.