Vocational Education Resources

Vocational education offers career pathways in high-wage, high-skill, high-demand career fields such as STEM disciplines, nursing, allied health, construction, information technology, energy sustainability and other areas that are vital to keeping our nation competitive in the global economy. Explore the websites below to see the many options open to you to help develop your skills, expand your knowledge, and improve your marketability in today's workplace.

Cerritos Community College
Cerritos Community College provides access to innovative learning opportunities that promote the power of learning. The college takes pride in offering open access education for associate degrees, transfer, career technical training, basic skills, and lifelong learning. Creating career pathways and opportunities for self-enrichment that benefit the economic vitality of its unique, multicultural community, Cerritos College values diversity and employs learning programs and student services that underscore student success.

East Los Angeles College
The mission of Career Technical Education is to provide industry linked programs and services that enable all individuals to reach their career goals in order to achieve economic self sufficiency, compete in the global marketplace, and contribute to California’s economic prosperity. 

Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC)
LATTC provides the students and community members with high-quality technical and professional educational options that will meet their life-long career development and academic goals. LATTC also prepares students to participate effectively in our democratic society; and generate economic development with our educational, governmental, community and business partners.

Long Beach City College
Long Beach City College is a comprehensive community college that provides open and affordable access to quality associate degree and certificate programs, workforce preparation, and opportunities for personal development and enrichment. The college develops students' college-level skills and expands their general knowledge, enables their transfer to four-year institutions, prepares them for successful careers, places advancement in their current careers, and fosters their personal commitment to lifelong learning. Based upon a commitment to excellence, college programs foster and support the intellectual, cultural, economic and civic development of our diverse community.

Los Angeles City College
Los Angeles City College offers post-secondary lower division arts and sciences coursework. It also offers career and technical education, and essential skilled classes designed to provide students with degrees, certificates, and fundamental skills. The primary mission includes the following educational components enabling students to complete:
• A curriculum designed for transfer to a four-year university
• An associate degree and/or certificate leading directly to entrance into the work force
• An essential skills program designed to assist underprepared students and others who seek special assistance to achieve their educational goals

Harbor College Los Angeles
The primary purposes of the Los Angeles Harbor College Foundation are:
• To encourage partnerships between local business and industry and the college.
• To advocate for excellence and innovation within programs at the college.
• To serve as ambassadors in the community to promote the goals of the college.
• To seek support from individuals, corporations and foundations to ensure educational opportunity for residents in the community.

Pasadena City College
The mission of Pasadena City College is to provide a high quality, in a robust learning environment that encourages, supports and facilitates the student learning and success. The College provides an academically rigorous and comprehensive curriculum for students pursuing educational and career goals as well as learning opportunities designed for individual development. The College is committed to providing access to higher education for members of the diverse communities within the District service area and to offering courses, programs, and other activities to enhance the economic conditions and the quality of life in these communities.

Santa Monica College
The mission of Santa Monica College is to develop and deliver education and training that meets the needs of students, employers, and workers and engages them in lifelong learning over the course of their careers.

West LA College
West Los Angeles College provides a transformative educational experience. West fosters a diverse learning community dedicated to student success. Through quality instruction and supportive services, the College develops leaders who encourage excellence in others. A West education enriches students with the knowledge and skills needed to earn certificates and degrees, to transfer, to build careers, and to pursue life-long learning.

El Camino College
El Camino College offers quality, comprehensive educational programs and services to ensure the educational success of students from their diverse community. Everything El Camino College is or does must be centered on its community. The highest value is placed on the students and their educational goals, interwoven in that value is their recognition that the faculty and staff of El Camino College are the College's stability, its source of strength and its driving force.

Los Angeles Mission College
The mission of Los Angeles Mission College is the success of our students. To facilitate their success, Los Angeles Mission College provides accessible, affordable, high quality learning opportunities in a culturally and intellectually supportive environment by:
• Encouraging students to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners;
• Ensuring that students successfully transfer to four-year institutions, find meaningful employment, improve their basic skills, and enrich their lives through continuing community education;
• Providing services and programs that improve the life of its immediate community.

Pierce College
Pierce College is a learning institution that offers excellent opportunities for student access and success in a diverse college community. The college dedicates all of its resources to ensure that students achieve their educational, career, and personal goals. Their comprehensive curriculum and support service enables students to earn associate degrees and certificates. Pierce College also prepares the students for transferring, career insights and technical education proficiency. This will help the student develop basic skills and prepare for lifelong learning. They also serve the community through economic and workforce development.

Glendale Community College
Glendale Community College welcomes students of all diverse backgrounds, goals, ages, abilities, and learning styles. As an institution of higher education, they are committed to student learning and success. Using personal interaction, dynamic and rigorous instruction, and innovative technologies, they foster the development of critical thinking and lifelong learning. Glendale provides students with the opportunity and support to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to meet their educational, career, and personal goals. They are commitment is to prepare students for their many evolving roles in and responsibilities to the community, our state, and our society.

Los Angeles Valley College
Los Angeles Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in the center of the San Fernando Valley. The College serves the community by providing transfer, degree, career-technical, foundational, transitional and continuing education programs in an attractive and accessible learning environment that fosters student success. Embedded in these programs are the greater goals of critical thinking and life-long learning which are necessary for success in the workplace and for advancing one's education, personal development and quality of life.

Abram Friedman Occupational Center
Abram Friedman Occupational Center empowers a diverse student body to effectively participate in a technologically driven ever-changing society. The staff promotes respect for life-long learning and the achievement of personal goals.

Evans Community Adult School
Evans is a community adult school dedicated to quality programs designed both for learners with limited English skills and native English speakers from diverse cultural backgrounds. They prepare students for success in today's complex world through instruction focused on communication skills, high school diploma and/or GED certificate acquisition, productive citizenship and technological proficiency.

Downey Adult School
The mission of the Downey Adult School is to provide easily accessible lifelong educational opportunities and services which address the unique needs of individuals and communities by providing adults with the knowledge and skills necessary to function effectively as citizens, workers, consumers, parents, and family members.

Bellflower Adult School
Bellflower Adult School programs are focused on vocational preparation, academic diploma acquisition, GED completion, English acquisition, and enrichment programs for older adults. The areas of concurrent enrollment that are allowed are those which supplement and not supplant opportunities for programs unavailable at the high schools.

Los Angeles Police Academy
It is the mission of the Los Angeles Police Department to safeguard the lives and property of the people we serve, to reduce the incidence and fear of crime, and to enhance public safety while working with the diverse communities to improve their quality of life. Their mandate is to do so with honor and integrity, while at all times conducting ourselves with the highest ethical standards to maintain public confidence.

Los Angeles County Police Academy
LA County Police Academy, which trains for the Sheriff's Department, mission is to lead the fight to prevent crime and injustice. Enforce the law fairly and defend the rights of all. Partner with the people we serve to secure and promote safety in our communities.

Los Angeles Firefighter Department
It is the mission of the Los Angeles Fire Department to preserve life and property, promote public safety and foster economic growth through leadership, management and actions, as an all risk life safety response provider. They focus their efforts on responding rapidly to emergencies, providing appropriate intervention and community education.

Los Angeles County Firefighter Department
The mission of the Los Angeles County Fire Department is to protect lives, the environment, and property by providing prompt, skillful, and cost-effective fire protection and life safety services.