Programmatic Partners
State Center Community College District
The Gladiator Program is made possible through the collaboration of several key community partners and stakeholders.
State Center Community College District (SCCCD) was formed in 1964 when it assumed control of Fresno City College and Reedley College. SCCCD serves approximately 1.7 million people and 38 unified and high school districts in more than 5,743 square miles of urban and rural territory, including most of Fresno and Madera counties and portions of Kings and Tulare counties. SCCCD is governed by a seven-member board of trustees who represent seven trustee areas.
SCCCD serves as the fiscal agent for the Gladiator Welding Program. In addition to fiscal management of the program, the SCCCD staff coordinates with programmatic partners to assist in managment the day-to-day operations of the Gladiator Welding Program. These activities include employer engagement, facilitation of Advisory committee and strategic planning.
VOICE
Voice of Including Community Equitably (V.O.I.C.E.) is a community-based organization dedicated to workforce development for the underprivileged and underserved populations of Fresno. The purpose of V.O.I.C.E. is to provide workforce training and job placement in jobs with sustainable wages to bring low-income and underserved people out of poverty.
Through partnership with SCCCD, VOICE employs Gladiator Welding Program Staff and manages the day-today operations of the program
West Fresno Family Resource Center
Established in 2001, West Fresno Health Care Coalition (dba: West Fresno Family Resource Center), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, serves residents of one of the poorest metropolitan communities in California’s Central Valley, Southwest Fresno and beyond.
WFFRC manages student intake and screening for perspective Gladiator Welding Program Students. These activities include drug screening, background checks and administration of ACT standardized testing in language arts and mathe
Transform Fresno
Transform Fresno is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California.
Career Nexus
Career Nexus works to better prepare a talented, diverse workforce for high-demand, good-paying jobs in the greater Fresno region – all while giving employers access to this robust workforce pipeline. At Career Nexus we serve people, businesses and our community to help create a better future for all.
Career Nexus provides soft-skills and career readiness training for students of the Gladiator Welding Program. Additionally, students who complete their training with Career Nexus are eligible for a paid 200 hour internship with a local employer.
San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance
The San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance (SJVMA) is an organization of the Valley’s manufacturing leaders advancing their industry and creating a world-class workforce at the local level. Launched by the Fresno Business Council, SJVMA aims to strengthen regional manufacturing, an industry that employs more than 105,000 people and growing and is responsible for nearly $15 billion of the Valley’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Alliance designs training programs, provides jobs to interns for hands-on experience, educates the public on the benefits of manufacturing careers, addresses legislative issues, and brings local businesses and industry innovators together for the "Valley Made" Manufacturing Summit, an annual manufacturing conference. Through these initiatives, the SJVMA enhances the region’s competitiveness in the global market, multiplying manufacturing’s economic impact on the Valley.
The SJVMA facilitates employer connections for the Gladiator Welding Program, and serves as a resource on the program's Advisory Committee.
Washington Union High School
The mission of the Washington Unified School District, THE GATEWAY TO EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITIES, is to challenge and support each student to develop effective critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills as a life-long learner acting in an ethical manner to serve a broader community through a community of learners.
The Gladiator Welding Program is housed at Washington Union High Schools welding lab in Easton, CA.