In November, the CTE Foundation (CTEF) gave a presentation to Sonoma County Farm Bureau Board of Directors introducing their Sonoma Corps program. CTEF pointed out that many employers in our community are reporting difficulty finding candidates for positions at their businesses, including farms, ranches, processing plants and wineries. In an effort to get more students connected to jobs in agriculture, CTE Foundation is seeking a number of ag employer partners to host Sonoma Corps gap-year interns, with a special effort to expand internship opportunities within the agriculture industry in Sonoma County.
Sonoma Corps is a college and career readiness program providing work-readiness skills and career exploration for Sonoma County youth to prepare them for their futures. The program is designed to help students build a foundation for a successful future through immersive career exploration and paid work experience, while also creating a skilled and motivated local workforce pipeline for regional employers.
The program begins during a student’s senior year in high school with work-readiness skill-building and career exploration. Upon graduation from high school, students enter a paid full-time internship and are enrolled in SRJC’s work experience course. Students continue to receive one-on-one coaching, and hosts/employers receive SRJC faculty support for facilitating intern experiences.
Gallo Wines recently hosted interns from the Sonoma Corps. See the video here: https://youtu.be/tjMR_cigWJk .
For more information, or to speak with someone about hosting a paid gap-year intern starting in Summer 2023, please contact Brandon Jewell at bjewell@ctesonomacounty.org or 707-849-7741, or visit www.ctesonomacounty.org/sonoma-corps.
