Background
Cañada College in conjunction with the Bay Area Community College Consortium, California Student Aid Commission, and State of California-Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) are seeking employers for the Extended Reality (XR) Developer Apprenticeship Program (2023- 2024) cohort. Funded by a California Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) grant, the Cañada College XR Apprenticeship Program trains, facilitates placement of, and supports eligible candidates in entry level positions with partner employers. Some occupations in XR studios include Junior Developer, Game Designer, and Production Manager.
Eligible Apprentices from the Developer Apprenticeship program will have completed either:
(a) Approved DAS Pre-apprenticeship Program,
(b) A certificate, associate degree and/or bachelor degree in a related field
(c) Art related apprentices’ applicants will have also passed a portfolio assessment conducted by developer apprenticeship faculty consultants.
Employer Role
Once placed in a position with an employer, the apprentice works to fulfill their On-the-Job Training (OJT) and receive Related Supplemental Instruction (RSI) through Cañada College. Successful completion of the program is expected to take six to eighteen months, depending on studio production cycles and the individual schedules of apprentices. While further employment with a partner employer is not guaranteed, a graduating apprentice is certified by the State of California in their chosen occupation and well positioned in the industry with hours of real-world experience and technical training by industry experts.
Funding and Apprentice Support
Cañada College’s Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP) provides funds to offer eligible students opportunities to earn money while gaining career-related experience in their fields of study. For Learning-Aligned employment positions with for-profit employers, the program can provide up to 50 percent of the student’s compensation. In addition, Cañada College will provide mentors, and additional apprentice support free of charge to employers.
For more information, visit:
https://canadacollege.edu/businessdivision/apprenticeships.php,
and/or contact Alex Jones (jonesa@smcdd.edu) and David Gainey (gaineyd@smccd.edu)
