"It's Just a Pipe Dream: Equitable Workforce Pathways for Silicon Valley"

Second-year doctoral student Joseph Montoya (right) published a paper investigating postsecondary community technical education (CTE) work pathways in Silicon Valley. The title of the paper is “It's Just a Pipe Dream: Equitable Workforce Pathways For Silicon Valley.”
 
Co-authors are Forest Olaf Peterson, Division of Equity & Justice, County of Santa Clara, and Professor Martin Arthur Fisher, Stanford University.
 
The paper emerged from research with the Workforce Perspectives with Technology Solutions project from the Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) at Stanford University.
 
Montoya’s research foci include language use in STEM and CTE pathways and equitable routes to college and career. He holds secondary teaching credentials in Biological Sciences, Geosciences, and Career Technical Education (CTE). Additionally, Montoya has taught Virtual Design and Construction in community college and studied botany and environmental education in Argentina and Chile. The ECMC Foundation selected Montoya as a 2020 Postsecondary Career and Technical Research Fellow to study how post-secondary CTE institutions fulfill their mission and increase employment and social mobility. Professor Mark Warschauer and Associate Professor Hosun Kang serve as Montoya’s advisors.

​Abstract
 
The research on the efficacy of postsecondary workforce programs does not convey the impact on true social mobility. Although highly skilled workers are required to build Silicon Valley, that highly skilled workforce is now scarce. We posit that a lack of observed social mobility could be due to leaks in the education system. The purpose of this study is to investigate the postsecondary CTE workforce pathways in Silicon Valley to understand what constitutes features that explain functioning pathways for social mobility.