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The Capital Region Needs More Skilled Laborers

Make no mistake: The Capital Region boasts some of the nation’s finest colleges and universities. Many a regional leader is a proud alum of UC Davis or Sacramento State. Yet in 2015, it might behoove us to ask some scary questions: Does a 4-year college degree guarantee a good job? If so, can that good job be reconciled with the staggering debt that currently accompanies a college diploma.

Nov 2, 2015 Winnie Comstock-Carlson
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You Can’t Work Your Way Through College Anymore

Working to pay for college doesn’t work. Despite the fact that 40 percent of undergraduates work at least 30 hours per week while in college, tuition is too high for those hours to make much of a difference, a new report shows.

Oct 30, 2015 Sarah Grant
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Working with Autism

Meristem, a new school in Fair Oaks, bridges the education gap to job-readiness

Business owners looking for new hires might want to keep on eye on Meristem. Twenty minutes east of Sacramento, the new school opened in September with a mission to help young adults with ASD or other developmental differences find jobs. Developed in the U.K., this postsecondary transition program uses practical courses to teach transferable work skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and communication.

Oct 29, 2015 Russell Nichols
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University of California Sells $200 Million Fossil Fuel Holdings

Students representing the university’s 10 campuses have protested and collected petitions urging the school to divest from fossil fuels that include coal and oil sands, a mix of sand, clay, water and a heavy oil called bitumen. Fossil Free UC, a coalition of students, faculty, staff and alumni has asked the university to adopt a five-year plan to freeze new fossil fuel investments.

Sep 15, 2015 Janet Lorin & Lauren Streib

Plight Of the Novice Nurse

Nurses are in high demand, but only if they’re seasoned

A nursing shortage has been looming like a storm cloud, warning the country’s health care industry of impending change. The health care and education industries prepared for it by training novice graduates, advocating for advanced degrees and expanding the roles of nurses. The question now is whether the newbies will be ready in time.

Aug 25, 2015 Russell Nichols