Daily Lumina News 090221

California has long needed more health-care workers, and the coronavirus pandemic only made the demand more pressing.
Filling the gap is the goal of a unique joint venture that creates certificate programs to recruit and train Californians to work as medical technicians, medical coders, and other allied health professionals.

Frank Williams and Mercy Pigman are among the thousands of successful Job Corps alumni now working in their chosen careers and leading middle-class lives.
Some, like Williams, ascend the ranks in a trade, and others, like Pigman, complete a certificate program and move into a traditional community college or four-year institution for an undergraduate degree or higher.

A haze of smoke rests on Lake Tahoe Community College as the Caldor fire makes its way into the Lake Tahoe Basin. The scene is a far cry from the triumphant return to campus that school leaders anticipated after the college operated remotely for more than a year because of COVID-19.
Some California community colleges now find themselves struggling to meet the needs of students as multiple fires continue to spread across the state during the start of an already fraught academic year. In addition to supporting students, staff and faculty members, many colleges are also having to shelter affected residents of communities near the campuses.

As colleges and universities in the United States start the fall semester, they’re seeking to rebuild community—not only as a way to support students, but also to help curb pandemic opt-outs.
For many schools, campus solidarity has meant expanding mental health support in response to growing need. Others are increasing access to digital devices and Wi-Fi and ramping up welcome events typically organized for first-year students for all students.

As they finished high school during one of the most tumultuous years in this nation’s history, three Colorado students navigated mental health struggles, family pressures, and big questions about their post-graduation plans.
For Michael Liao, Jaden Huynh, and Mana Setayesh, a pandemic-fueled year ultimately became the foundation for their transition to adulthood, but it would not define their futures.

The pandemic has changed the way many Americans work, but the changing landscape of how people do their jobs is nothing new. Whether it's self-checkout at the grocery store or a bomb-detecting robot, the way we work is always evolving. So, what does the future look like?
A new GBH TV series called "Future of Work" taps a diverse range of experts and workers to address critical questions about the changing nature of technology, education, the remote workplace, and inequality.