UC Merced Extension offers cannabis workforce certificate programs

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the legalization of cannabis expands crossed the country, UC Merced is moving hard to marque definite students are well-trained for the workforce.

Michael Pierick, the Director of Strategic Initiatives astatine UC Merced, says the assemblage is ever looking for ways to marque definite student's skills lucifer manufacture needs.

"When it comes to each of the antithetic programs that we offer, we look for that accidental to truly capable that spread with the community," Pierick said.

The assemblage partnered with Green Flower, a institution that produces a program to assistance radical participate the cannabis industry.

Max Simon, the CEO, says they created the programme and partnered with colleges and universities crossed the state due to the fact that the cannabis manufacture needs well-trained workers to trim the stigma astir it.

"When you look astatine the cannabis industry, it tin beryllium hard to cognize who to trust," Simon said.

The 3 certificate programs present offered astatine UC Merced see cannabis cultivation, cannabis extraction and merchandise improvement and cannabis retail specialist.

Simon says they made the courses wholly online to marque them affordable, flexible and accessible.

Each certificate programme costs astir $1,000.

There are nary prerequisites, and you bash not person to beryllium a UC Merced pupil to enroll.

"We privation to make knowledgeable, skilled, trustworthy cannabis professionals," Simon said.

Pierick says the cannabis manufacture had much than 5% occupation maturation year-over-year from 2023 to 2024.

He says UC Merced is optimistic that these caller certificate programs volition hole students for a increasing and in-demand career.

"It's truly astir processing those accomplishment sets of our section portion to assistance upskill, reskill if they're presently employed, truthful it's an breathtaking accidental to get progressive with -- adjacent if you're conscionable learning personally," Pierick said.

The adjacent people begins connected February 3. Prospective students tin get $200 disconnected if they registry by January 31 with the codification NEWYEAR200.

You tin larn much and enroll successful the people by clicking here.

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