Bakersfield College partnered with the Bakersfield Adult School this semester to offer more classes to Bakersfield Adult School students. Different classes such as English for multilingual students, English as a second language, and citizenship classes will be offered at the Job Spot.

The Job Spot is opened last semester with help from an Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) and is located in South Bakersfield.

A BC adviser is on site at the Job Spot to help adult school students with assessments, obtaining an education plan, and enrolling into BC classes offered on the main campus or at the Job Spot. Two examples of the classes that BC will be offering is a business class and a late-start English for multilingual students class.

“Having a BC adviser helps ease the transition for a GED student who doesn’t know what options there are,” said Jessica Flores, Academic Liaison.

Flores helps the students at the Job Spot by providing reading and writing support, along with other academic support. The help from Flores means students have all the resources available to them in one location. She described the Job Spot as a one-stop-shop for students if they needed tutoring or assistance, though the resources are open to anyone in the community.

Some of those resources include resume development, GED and citizenship courses.

“Anyone can bring in a resume to be edited or have an email created,” said Flores.

From Flores’ experience, many people taking the GED or citizenship classes may be older and may not have access to a computer in their home. This means that students may need help with computers, technology, and navigating the internet.

Flores also said the Job Spot will be holding workshops throughout the semester that are open to anyone in the community, including BC and Adult School students. The workshops will include topics such as creating a resume, developing interview skills for employment, and managing a professional social media presence. The dates are not set for the workshops yet.

There has been an increase in class size at the Job Spot since last semester, according to Flores. The class sizes have almost doubled. Even though they have increased, they remain somewhat smaller and allow students to get one-on-one time with their instructors. Other perks to the Job Spot classes include the brand-new computers, classrooms at the new facility, and a program called Sample a Class.

Sample a Class allows those in the community to visit the BC main campus to take a tour and sit in on a class. The tour and in-class experience is offered to help prospective BC students feel more comfortable and prepared for their enrollment.

“Adult students going to college may feel out of place,” Flores said, “but they are able to see other students just like them when they visit campus. They can see it’s never too late to start that journey.”