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City of Turlock, Stan State aim to get students ‘Career Ready’
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The City of Turlock and the California State University, Stanislaus are renewing their partnership to help students enter the workforce, with the City Council adopting a new memorandum of understanding to become a formal employer partner of the school’s CareerReadyU program.

The program, which was established in 2019, aims to connect current students with alumni and employers, integrating academic and professional experiences. Through mentorship and other resources, students can be prepared for personal and professional success during their academic journey and upon graduation.

“CareerReadyU is a formal partnership between the University and regional employers and organizations to identify opportunities for career-focused learning that will send career-ready graduates into the regional workforce,” explained CRU Executive Director Julie Sedlemeyer. “Stan State is happy to renew the MOU with the City of Turlock to continue our partnership. Together, Stan State and the City of Turlock can transform the labor market by jointly supporting our graduates’ career connected learning for high-skill jobs in a rapidly changing economy.”

The program is expected to benefit the City through the opportunity to develop or modify strategies for the recruitment and promotion of current and future opportunities for jobs, internships or networking. Participants in the program can take advantage of early registration into career fairs, as well as be able to receive employer consultations sessions with the Career & Professional Development Employer Relations team. In addition, selected individuals will have the opportunity to enhance their resume with the accreditation from the City of Turlock’s Municipal Volunteer Partnership program.

According to City of Turlock Economic Development Director Anthony Sims, since the initial partnership began in 2019, CRU programs at Stan State have been influential in recruiting local talent for City positions, as well as connecting local talent to Turlock businesses.

“The City of Turlock has been close active partners in Stan State programs, Career Ready U, as well as STEM CRU,” Sims said. “The programs offer opportunities for business information sessions, industry specific panel participation, career fairs and various other workforce development, talent development and recruiting opportunities. These programs are key resources for students, alumni and businesses.

“Within our City, we have numerous lucrative career opportunities working for the City, as well as many other career opportunities with other companies in the City. For businesses to have close collaboration and synergy with the local college, it’s a tremendous advantage to provide career opportunities for our local talent so that they don’t have to leave our local economy.”

City of Turlock Human Relations Director Jessie Dham explained that her department will coordinate directly with Stan State’s Career & Professional Development Center and their CareerReadyU team to work with interested City departments to identify opportunities for internships within their particular function.

“From a human relations perspective, we sincerely value the relationship the City and CSU Stanislaus has developed over the years,” Dham said. “CareerReadyU is a fairly new program within the University and is creating a pipeline for students to develop into qualified employees and potentially live work and expand their careers, within the City of Turlock. If students require an academic internship for school credit, students work through a separate MOU with the Office of Service Learning. A separate MOU with the Office of Service Learning and the City is currently in place.”

Sims added that, from an economic development perspective, it’s vital to provide good careers in a community where residents can live, go to school and have good paying jobs.

“This contributes to community growth and progress,” he said.

For more information on the CareerReadyU program at Stan State, head to www.csustan.edu/career/careerreadyu.