The Far North Center of Excellence (COE) provides objective labor market analysis that supports program development and strategic partnerships for seven community colleges in 15 counties in the northernmost reaches of California.

Communities in the region are predominantly rural, resulting in nuanced workforce and programmatic needs that differ from many other regions in the state.

In addition to working closely with area community colleges, the Far North COE participates in collaborative partnerships with local K-12 school districts, four-year colleges and universities (including California State University-Chico and Humboldt State University), and others.

In recent months, notable projects completed by the Far North COE include:

• A comprehensive assessment of workforce needs related to Google’s IT Support Professionals Certificate, which has resulted in three colleges implementing related programs in the region
  
• Extensive data analysis informing the North/Far North Regional Consortium’s strategic plan related to regional employment demand and community college student outcomes
  
• The provision of labor market analysis and training related to data utilization for K12 Pathway Coordinators working on program alignment between K-12 school districts and community colleges in the region

The Far North COE is hosted by the Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Community College District. 

Community colleges served by the Far North COE are: Butte College, College of the Redwoods, College of the Siskiyous, Feather River College, Lassen Community College, Mendocino College, and Shasta College.

Counties in the Far North region are: Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity.