The Santa Cruz County Provisional Community College District (SCCPCCD) launched its first electrician certificate program on August 21 with strong backing from South32 Hermosa. The initiative begins with 16 students and marks the start of a larger partnership designed to strengthen technical education and expand career opportunities in the county, according to reporting by My Herald Review.
South32 invested more than $440,000 to fund the program, which includes classroom upgrades, equipment, and full scholarships for every student in the inaugural class. Interest exceeded available spots, with 70 applicants vying for just 16 seats. College leaders are already preparing a second cohort for next year along with additional trade classes to meet local demand.
Greg Lucero, CEO of SCCPCCD, described the program as a pilot that could grow into a broad technical training pipeline. “There’s tremendous enthusiasm from the community,” he said. Orientation day welcomed students to a newly renovated facility outfitted with electrical workstations for hands-on instruction.
The collaboration with South32 aligns with the mining company’s goal of filling 80 percent of jobs at its Hermosa project with local workers. Beyond meeting workforce needs at the mine, officials say the partnership will benefit the broader community by developing programs in trades such as plumbing, carpentry, and other fields identified by a newly formed Workforce Development Executive Committee.
The committee includes South32 executives, county officials, and local school superintendents. Their task is to assess workforce needs and guide investments in future courses. Lucero noted that this model could help the region adapt to changing economic conditions while reducing reliance on uncertain funding streams.
Community voices have raised questions about South32’s influence on the program, but Lucero emphasized that the majority of students are not employed by the company. He credited South32 for stepping up as what he called “a good corporate citizen” committed to supporting education and opportunity in Santa Cruz County.
With the first electrician cohort underway, SCCPCCD leaders see the partnership as the foundation of a stronger technical education system that can prepare residents for careers in high-demand trades.
My Herald Review
Community college kicks off South32 partnership with electrician course
The Santa Cruz County Provisional Community College District (SCCPCCD) started classes in a new electrician certificate program on Aug. 21. The class will not only help 16 students get certified to do electrical work, it will also launch a collaboration between the mine and the SCCPCCD that administrators hope will bring continued investment in the technical education needs in the county.
South32 has put over $440,000 into the electrician course, according to a press release, and SCCPCCD CEO Greg Lucero said they plan to invest significantly more into the college in the coming years, supporting a potentially wide array of technical classes and other needs for the college and the community.
“This first program, this electrician certification program, is kind of a pilot program,” Lucero said. “And there’s tremendous enthusiasm from the community.”
