The Business Education Alliance () was developed to promote private sector participation in various educational programs in Stockton and San Joaquin County. San Joaquin County includes Ripon, Lathrop, Manteca, Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, Escalon, and the unincorporated areas of the county. The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce accomplished this by establishing private-public partnerships with the San Joaquin County Office of Education, San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton Unified School District, Manteca Unified School District, Lodi Unified School District, Linden Unified School District, Lincoln Unified School District, and other academic institutions in our region. The Chamber has developed employer outreach activities and elevated several ongoing and innovative work and school-based programs. They are:

Local businesses and industries are interested in cultivating future clients and employees and are often willing to provide opportunities for out-of-class work experience and tours of their worksite. This is an opportunity for business leaders to be involved in the direct teaching of students. Science and industry tours can bring the classroom to life. Visiting a business/industry facility can help students make the link between the classroom and their future world. All these experiences can aid a student in developing a career choice.

The BEA offers students at local schools, an opportunity to tour local manufacturing and industrial facilities. By providing an opportunity for students to see a product developed from start to finish, it is our goal to spark an interest in the science and engineering field. The continues to expand this exceptional program to include as many opportunities as possible for students to gain a full understanding of potential career opportunities in Stockton and San Joaquin County.

Principal For A Day (PFAD) is a proven way for leaders in schools and members of the community to share ideas, resources and a sense of responsibility for education in our region.  By providing a first-hand perspective of the decisions and responsibilities principals face daily, PFAD participants are encouraged to take a greater interest in public education and in many cases develop personal relationships with a school.  At the same time, PFAD provides principals with an opportunity to create meaningful relationships with individuals in the private sector.  The PFAD volunteer may spend as little as two hours or up to the entire day at their adopted school.  Once the PFAD is assigned a school, specific arrangements are mutually agreed upon between the school principal or volunteer.  

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The Chamber, with over 1,600 business members, has a network of business owners, managers and employees that engage in hiring individuals for their businesses every day. The has tapped into this rich resource of business to assist putting on Career Fairs or Job Fairs.  

The and the business community invites 300 students to the event. Students have the opportunity to meet with local businesses and tour the venue. Fair attendees will have the opportunity to visit trade booths, and attend breakout workshops on career opportunities in the region. 

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Guest speakers can be an effective method of bringing workplace learning into the classroom at all grade levels. Guest speakers can bring a sense of legitimacy to topics, helping students understand the relevance of classroom learning to the world of work. Speakers can help students understand how work relates to personal development and the needs and functions of society.

In order to facilitate business speakers in the classroom, the Chamber and its network of businesses will provide speakers to area schools upon request.  This is a great opportunity for businesses, schools and students to get to know each other.

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Chamber/ROP Internship Program

"You can't get a good job without experience, and you can't get experience without a job." 

The Chamber/ROP Internship Program stresses employability skills, leadership, evaluation, motivation and resume building. 

In early 1998, the Chamber piloted the Stockton Chamber Apprenticeship Program with local Regional Occupation Programs (ROP) Community Classroom Curriculum. The Chamber used the Community Classroom Curriculum to provide training/job opportunities for participants in the SCAP. In the three-month pilot program, the Chamber was successful in placing 14 out of 15 (93%) of participating students into part or full-time jobs in Stockton and San Joaquin County. 

With the success of the SCAP project, the proposes to reintroduce the model created through the Partnership for Tomorrow as the Chamber/Delta/ROP Internship Program, to exclusively serve the area high schools, ROP’s and Delta College through 2 to 4 weeks of non-paid work-site training with area employers. Through the ROP Community Classroom Curriculum and Delta College’s VOED96V Work Experience programs, the Chamber will facilitate training and/or job opportunities for students in their junior and senior years of high school, as well as to eligible Delta College students. This training would be leverage with academic training, thus giving students a well –rounded education experience, and potentially a job.

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