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CADENCE Community of Practice Site

California Governor's Office of Planning and Research: CADENCE Program

Grantee Partners: CACT and Calbright

The California Community Colleges Centers for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) in partnership with California Online Community College District, DBA Calbright College, received a $275,000 grant from the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to support California’s defense innovation and manufacturing ecosystem through small business development. Funding comes from the DoD Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program that is designed to strengthen the national security innovation base, and California is one of six Defense Manufacturing Communities across the nation.

CACT was selected to receive the grant due to its expertise in helping faculty learn and develop new materials for classroom use through externships and experience in training and placing interns in positions that augment classroom instruction. With the grant funds, CACT will provide experiential learning opportunities for California Community College faculty externships at identified California defense supply chain or manufacturing companies, provide experiential learning opportunities for California Community College students through student internships at identified California defense supply chain or manufacturing companies thereby building a pipeline of workforce talent for California defense supply chain or manufacturing companies.

Interested California Community Colleges and faculty (including adjunct faculty) can contact Alan Braggins, Statewide Director Advanced Manufacturing for more information.

The CACT are dedicated to building your workforce now and in the future. Our workforce training and education options are flexible and customized.

  • High-tech skills training
  • College credit, non-credit and not-for-credit courses
  • Special initiatives to build a pipeline of advanced technology workers
  • Support of advanced technology programs
  • Access to apprenticeships and internships

 

“The erosion of American manufacturing capacity and capability over the last several decades threatens to undermine the ability of U.S. suppliers in the innovation and manufacturing base to meet national security requirements. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that builds on close partnerships between DoD, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, business, and non-profit organizations. California’s defense innovation and manufacturing ecosystems play a premier role in safeguarding the mission readiness and enhancing the lethality of the American Armed Forces.”

Eileen Sanchez
CADENCE Program Manager
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

Dual-use capabilities support innovation in the defense industrial base


Dual-use strategies allow the DoD to exploit the rapid rate of innovation and market-driven efficiencies of commercial industry. Conversely, the innovation and accomplishments that originate in defense programs and laboratories can move rapidly to the commercial sector to help advanced manufacturing ecosystems built on common manufacturing and design challenges.

Access to a workforce pipeline is critical for Defense Industrial Base


Providing an experiential learning opportunity where both faculty and students can benefit from real world applications allows Colleges to benefit from Faculty who understand and subsequently bring the needs of industry to the classroom and infuse industry-validated curriculum into their educational programs. Defense manufacturing community consortium firms will benefit from access to a pipeline of talent to meet their workforce needs.

Contact us for a listing of the Regional Director of Employer Engagement near you.

THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY A U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, OFFICE OF ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT GRANT THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH. THE CONTENT DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, OFFICE OF ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT, OR THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 72 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; degree and certificate pathways; and basic skills education in English and math. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision for Success, a strategic plan designed to improve student success outcomes, increase transfer rates and eliminate achievement gaps.

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