Many trace the Tri-Valley’s development as an innovation hub to the 1950s when Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Sandia National Labs were established in  Livermore. The national labs concentrated thousands of highly educated individuals in the region and asked them to tackle huge scientific and technological challenges. Innovation has always been part of the job description for these skilled lab workers, who focus on ground-breaking projects using cutting-edge technology. As a result, the Tri-Valley is home to a highly educated workforce that values education, workforce training, and career opportunities for their offspring.

New Partnership Supports Job Training, More

Over the decades, a host of organizations have worked to build a talent pipeline for the Tri-Valley region. Some of them receive support from government entities while others are nonprofits or public-private partnerships. Recently, Tri-Valley workforce development efforts have expanded. In February, for example, i-GATE Innovation Hub and the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District announced a new partnership to advance education and innovation in the region. The partnership was motivated by i-GATE seeking organizational sustainability and impact, according to i-GATE and Daybreak Labs Executive Director Yolanda Fintschenko, PhD. i-GATE Innovation Hub is a nonprofit focused on increasing economic prosperity through entrepreneurship in the Tri-Valley. The partnership aims to enhance the professional networks around science-based startups in the community. 

“By leveraging and publicizing the unique advantage of having Las Positas College in the Tri-Valley, we can significantly benefit our startup ecosystem,” Fintschenko says. “We are focusing on several key areas: Job Training and Internships, Research and Development Opportunities, Joint Events and Programming, and Professional Development.”

“This partnership exemplifies our commitment to equipping students with the skills and resources they need to thrive in today’s dynamic workforce,” according to Ronald Gerhard, Chancellor of Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. “By working with i-GATE, we’re opening doors to transformative opportunities in education, research, and innovation.”

Upcoming events are the initial steps towards building a closer relationship with the community, Fintschenko says. On April 9 at noon, the nonprofit is hosting a Lunch and Learn at Daybreak Labs in Livermore. The event is open to all business founders interested in hiring interns from Las Positas College or elsewhere. Attendees will hear from George Farquar, a serial entrepreneur who has started three successful companies. Kristi Vanderhoof, Las Positas Career Center Coordinator, will offer best practices for recruiting interns and creating successful internship experiences. 

At 11:30 am on April 30, the partnership will present Launch Your Career: Connect with Tri-Valley Startups & Explore Your Future at the Las Positas College Campus. Startup officials will present their companies to students, inform them about the education needed for those fields, and publicize available internships. i-GATE has five confirmed companies for the event and seeks sponsors.

“Businesses interested in developing a strong employee pipeline and workforce should be excited about our initiatives,” notes Fintschenko. “We are creating opportunities for businesses to connect with talented students and future employees. We are piloting our outreach this spring and anticipate seeing results by summer and fall, including completed and started internships. We are reducing barriers for Tri-Valley startups to leverage the exceptional resources of an award-winning community college that attracts and educates talented and motivated students. This partnership is crucial for delivering on our mission to create a vibrant economy in the Tri-Valley by integrating professional networks around science-based startups with students early in their education, especially those who are the first in their families to attend college and lack generational professional networks. We believe this collaboration can play a significant role in establishing an innovation campus at Las Positas College, positioning our region for long-term economic success.”

New Groundbreaking Program at Pleasanton Unified School District

According to Amos Nugent III, Ed.D., Director of Career Pathways and Adult Learning for the Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD), “PUSD has taken a groundbreaking step in preparing high school Career and Technical Education students for college, career, and life success by launching California’s first competency-based, dual-registered youth apprenticeships in Cybersecurity and Robotics. This innovative program represents a critical milestone in addressing regional workforce demands while equipping students with industry-relevant skills and credentials.”

The groundbreaking program, which started in June 2024, was registered with the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards the following October. It was registered with the U.S. Department of Labor in January of this year. The apprenticeship program runs from June to June. It is intended to be completed over one year while students are still in high school, and integrates on-the-job training with aligned coursework. Importantly, those who complete the program will receive competency-based certificates that document the new skills participants have gained during their apprenticeships and can be used within California and nationally. 

Internships are also a part of these efforts. Nugent encourages Hacienda tenants and other employers to work with him and the PUSD work-based learning team to develop additional apprenticeships and internships tailored to their needs. As Nugent explains, employers who participate in the program contribute to workforce development by helping to create a skilled workforce that meets their needs. They contribute to building a talent pipeline by identifying and nurturing an ongoing source of future employees. They help shape industry-relevant training, “ensuring students are learning the most applicable skills.” 

By engaging in this program, businesses can enhance their reputation and increase community support. The program is also a source of innovation and collaboration as employers partner with educational institutions and community stakeholders to explore new ideas and new technologies. Participating companies demonstrate social responsibility as well by supporting students in “gaining skills and meaningful employment for a more inclusive society.”

The first apprentices in the PUSD program will earn their certificates and finish the program on June 2, 2025. Local company officials who have participated have been impressed with the caliber and the work of PUSD students in the program. This first-in-the-state effort needs additional business supporters in order to grow. Several businesses are already hosting PUSD students as youth apprentices and interns. Nugent suggests that companies complete a quick survey, linked below, to explore how they can participate in the program at any level. Executives can watch a video, also linked below, to hear directly from an employer and from students who have participated in this incredible program.  

The Work-Based Learning Partnership is supported by PUSD, the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, the City of Pleasanton, and Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation. That support is necessary but insufficient to make this a successful program. Local employers are key to building the kind of talent pipeline that Pleasanton and Tri-Valley companies need for the future.

“We can't make this happen without employers,” Nugent points out. “We have a tremendous student body here in the school district who are highly intelligent, extremely talented, very motivated, and who can help provide some serious solutions for employers who are experiencing workforce challenges.”

For more information about the Work-Based Learning Partner program with the Pleasanton School District, please visit www.sites.google.com/pleasantonusd.net/cte-wbl/prospective-partners.

To complete a short survey on the program to see how your company might benefit, please visit www.docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc472ZPMnq8icb6O_qxjb02NA0U7mpJVNXt8sqKwf-TMVQG3g/viewform.

To watch a video about the program, please visit www.sites.google.com/pleasantonusd.net/cte-wbl/pusd-interns-apprentices.

For additional questions, contact officials at workbasedlearning@pleasantonusd.net.

For more information about i-GATE Innovation Hub, please visit www.igateihub.org.

For more information about the i-GATE Innovation Hub and the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District partnership or to learn about upcoming initiatives, please contact yolandaf@igateihub.org. 

For more information about the Lunch and Learn event, please visit www.eventbrite.com/e/lunch-learn-startup-interns-101-tickets-1267928621639?.

For more information about Launch Your Career: Connect with Tri-Valley Startups & Explore Your Future, please visit www.eventbrite.com/e/launch-your-career-connect-with-tri-valley-startups-explore-your-future-tickets-1269708675829?.