Contra Costa College (CCC) recently unveiled the Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Pathway (CEDAP), a pioneering initiative aimed at providing students with a debt-free, hands-on route into the civil and transportation engineering sectors.
The program commenced on July 7 with an on-campus celebration, welcoming its inaugural cohort of 20 students.
The program offers a comprehensive five-year pathway that integrates academic coursework with practical experience. Students will benefit from paid internships, embedded academic and counseling support, and opportunities to transition into apprenticeships as Engineering Aides.
The program builds upon a successful pilot launched in Los Angeles, which has already transitioned low-income community college job seekers to unsubsidized employment with Caltrans as Student Assistants.
CEDAP is part of a broader effort to address the high demand for civil engineers in California, particularly in transportation, environmental, and public works sectors. It is funded by a $5 million grant from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program. The partnership includes CCC, the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC), Growth Sector, Caltrans, and other regional employers and universities.
CCC is one of 11 California community colleges selected to scale this model.
For more information about the program, interested parties can contact Yelena Miakinina at ymiakinina@ehsd.cccounty.us.