Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
By Joseph R. Williams
Community College Month is a time to reflect on how local institutions create opportunity, close equity gaps, and drive economic mobility. In the Inland Empire, that mission is being realized through San Bernardino Valley College’s new Applied Technology Building—a bold, future-facing investment in career education.
This facility is more than just steel and concrete. It’s a symbol of progress. Inside are programs that prepare students for high-growth, high-wage careers—fields like industrial automation, HVAC, clean energy, and advanced transportation. These aren’t abstract degrees; they’re direct connections to jobs that begin at $80,000 a year or more.
For students in San Bernardino and across the region—many of whom are the first in their family to attend college—this kind of access is life-changing. It represents not just education, but empowerment. It means the ability to support a family, purchase a home, or start a business.
Career Technical Education (CTE) is one of the most effective tools we have to create upward mobility. Yet CTE programs—and community colleges more broadly—don’t always get the attention or investment they deserve. While four-year universities dominate the conversation, it is our community colleges that are doing the heavy lifting: training workers, responding to local labor market demands, and meeting students where they are.
San Bernardino Valley College’s new building changes the game. It’s a clear, physical commitment to preparing students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. It’s also a reflection of what can happen when we align vision with resources—when we move beyond conversation and into action.
But buildings alone don’t close equity gaps. Continued investment is needed—not just in infrastructure, but in outreach, support services, and strong partnerships with employers. The success of this project will be measured not only by the number of students enrolled, but by how many of them graduate with industry-recognized credentials, secure good jobs, and stay rooted in the Inland Empire.
This Community College Month, I urge business leaders to partner with us, policymakers to prioritize CTE funding, and community members to see the promise in our public colleges.
Because when we invest in students, we invest in our region. And when we strengthen our colleges, we strengthen our economy.
Joseph R. Williams is a Trustee with the San Bernardino Community College District and a long-time advocate for educational and economic equity in the Inland Empire.
