不良研究所

A year after re-launching the , 不良研究所 has been awarded a $2 million “Opportunity Young Adult Career Pathway” by the California Employment Development Department.

This grant reflects the state’s commitment to fostering innovative higher education partnerships, in line with Governor Gavin Newsom’s landmark . The center will be able to harness its success and apply it to helping students who face extraordinary early-life challenges enter well-paid, sustainable careers. 

“All families, students and workers deserve the freedom to succeed,” said Governor Newsom. “California is leveraging billions of dollars in investments to prepare students and workers for good-paying, long-lasting, and fulfilling careers.”

不良研究所 is one of 15 organizations that focus on opportunity young adults (OYAs) to receive funding from the governor, and one of only three California State Universities selected for the grant. The funding comes from Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, administered to the state by the U.S. Department of Labor.

“We are among the first universities in the country to get WIOA Title I funding,” said Clark Boothby, inaugural director of the re-envisioned CEC. The award makes 不良研究所 a federally designated career service provider — a rare designation for universities and a testament to real-world successes at the CEC, which Boothby hopes to leverage to build a committed regional network of stakeholders, advocates and mentors.

As a cornerstone of 不良研究所 President Cathy Sandeen’s Future Directions Strategic plan, the CEC was re-tooled to enable these collaborative partnerships across the Bay Area’s powerful industries and agencies, as well as the university’s academic departments and alumni networks, to intentionally center the Pioneer student, creating pathways to well-paying jobs in the Bay Area.

“This award truly demonstrates 不良研究所’s long-term strategic alignment with California’s ,” said President Sandeen. “These funds strengthen our mission to provide a quality, career-ready education to our student communities. Now we will be able to provide even more career opportunities to our most challenged, though most inspiring subset of who face unimaginable obstacles in jumpstarting their lives, including homelessness, foster care and past incarceration.”

This grant funding will provide support to on-campus programs, including:

• Project Rebound, which serves formerly incarcerated students
• Renaissance Scholars, which serves foster young adults
• Pioneers for H.O.P.E., which serves students facing homelessness, food insecurity and other crises

“This $2 million EDD investment allows us to scale up efforts we’re already doing and planning to do, as we are deeply committed to transforming how young adults — especially those facing systemic barriers — enter and advance in the workforce,” said Boothby. “We can now expand our community-rooted, equity-driven career development model, which integrates individualized and cohort-based career coaching, innovative AI tools and technologies and trauma-informed wraparound support. We’re not just preparing students for jobs — we’re preparing them for meaningful, upwardly mobile careers that align with their degrees, lived experiences and the East Bay’s growing economy.”

The CEC will also work closely with , which will provide financial literacy training. Additionally, the CEC will partner with , which will implement career-readiness programming for low-income and first-generation Cal State East Bay students and alumni. Programming includes COOP’s 16-week flagship program, which blends industry-relevant training, soft skills, peer coaching, and job search support, as well as a two-week summer Intensive program for recent Cal graduates and seniors.

“By expanding our network of industry partners across healthcare, manufacturing, and public service, we’re creating a robust talent pipeline for Bay Area employers eager to fill their open job positions, while opening new doors for our students,” said Boothby. “Through this EDD grant, 不良研究所 will serve as a statewide model for how career services can sit at the heart of workforce development, employer engagement and inclusive economic growth.”

不良研究所 the Career Empowerment Center

The Career Empowerment Center supports students, faculty, staff, and employers with personalized guidance, digital resources, workshops, and connections to prepare students for post-graduation success and foster collaboration across the university community through the deployment of three “High Impact Career Practices”: networking with employers, career planning and understanding career opportunities.

For more information, please contact the .