CalWORKs

CalWORKs

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)

Program Purpose

CalWORKs is a collaborative welfare to work program with the Ventura County Human Services Agency. The program provides supportive services to students who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to acquire a vocational certificate or degree to prepare them for successful transition into the workforce.

Students who participate in the CalWORKs program are referred by the Human Services Agency. Students identify an educational goal and develop a comprehensive educational plan with the CalWORKs Academic Counselor. The counselor will additionally develop an Individual Training Plan (ITP) that assists students with meeting their welfare to work participation requirements.

Available services include:

  • Academic counseling, including career planning, course selection, registration, and referral to other campus resources;
  • Early registration;
  • Assistance with matriculation;
  • Individual Training Plans (ITP);
  • Advocacy with VC Human Services Agency;
  • Educational supplies;
  • Computer stations;
  • Work study/internship placement for eligible students.

For information and appointments, call (805) 289-6003. Students must provide a county referral to initiate participation. Ventura College CalWORKs office is located in the CSA Building, #129A.

Units of Credit

Our district, consistent with other districts across the state, adheres to the Carnegie Unit model for time spent in class and for time a student is expected to spend out of class in order to conduct required reading and homework.

  • For every lecture hour that a student spends in class each week, the Carnegie Unit model calls for a student to spend two hours outside of class reviewing the material from lecture, reviewing notes, reading, and/or completing required homework.
  • In courses that are “hands-on” and include lab time incorporated into the instruction, such as a word processing course or automotive repair course, there is very little homework involved. Because of the “hands on” nature of this type of instruction, the required weekly hours for such a course or program are typically on-site at the colleges. The scheduled hours are posted within the printed college schedule for the given semester. In addition, every course and program offered by the three colleges is described in each of the respective college catalogs. The course and program descriptions clearly specify whether a course/program is straight lecture or lab based.

VCCCD Based on Carnegie Unit Model Total Weekly Number of Hours Based on Number of Lecture Units Being Pursued by a Student

Academic Units for In-Class Lecture Time Two-to-One Ratio of Hours for Outside Class Study Time, i.e. Reading Time, Homework Total Number of Weekly Hours that a CalWORKs Student Will be Actively Dedicated to Educational Program
1 2 3
2 4 6
3 6 9
4 8 12
5 10 15
6 12 18
7 14 21
8 16 24
9 18 27
10 20 30
11 22 33
12 24 36
13 26 39
14 28 42
15 30 45
In-Class Lab Formula (i.e. “hands on training” programs)
20 Lab-based Instructional Hours <20>All work typically performed by student in-class, lab, shop, unless required otherwise by instructor or program1 20 weekly hours
1

There may be some training programs at Ventura College that utilize both the straight lecture formula and the lab-based formula to deliver their instruction to students.

Note: The weekly hourly schedule described above does not include any time that a CalWORKs participant may be required to conduct extra-curricular activities (i.e. field trips), student services orientations outside of class, counseling sessions, tutoring sessions, or travel time to and from campus, etc. Credit for acceptable activities will have to be determined as such by County personnel who, ideally, will discuss any related concerns with appropriate college staff. 

  • In cases where you have a CalWORKs participant with learning or physical disabilities, extra time may be needed in order to accommodate the special student success needs of such students. College counselors and/or Educational Assistance Center (EAC) personnel at each of the colleges will advise and/or assist County case workers with estimation of weekly schedules for any student with special needs.

The chart entitled "VCCCD Based on Carnegie Unit Model . . ." serves to illustrate the various configurations and weekly schedules that a student, depending on the unit load, may be required to follow in order to succeed with their course of study.