Web Design Certificate of Achievement

The Web Design Certificate of Achievement provides students with foundational concepts in web design, coding languages, accessibility best practices, and the skills to identify the needs of the target audience in real-world applications. The certificate teaches students how to efficiently create and maintain responsive websites using current technology, combining foundational concepts of writing valid HTML/CSS code with accessibility best practices. Students will be able to create attractive and functional web design projects from concept to the finished product. This certificate will prepare students for entry-level careers in web design and provide students with foundational web design knowledge for use in various professional settings as they join the workforce or as they acquire continuing education in their current profession.

The certificate  program is expected to have an enrollment of 10 to 20 annually with about 5 to 10 annual completers. The program expects annual growth in enrollment and completion. 

Cabrillo College is seeking approval from the Chancellor’s Office for the new Web Design Certificate of Achievement in Career Technical Education.  The Web Design Certificate of Achievement is designed to prepare students to take advantage of rich new employment opportunities in emerging fields such as UX/UI (User Experience/User Interface), as well as employment in established fields such as Web Design and Web Development. The Web Design Certificate of Achievement  provides students with  foundational concepts in web design, coding languages, accessibility best practices, and the skills to identify the needs of the end user in real-world applications. The certificate  is designed to prepare students to work in the growing field of Web Design, whether they enter the workforce directly or seek a degree at Cabrillo or at a transfer institution. 

The need for workers in the diverse field of web design has been advocated for by local businesses in digital media program advisory boards and supported by current, regional labor market research (TOP 0614.30).  The Web Design Certificate of Achievement  is aligned with Cabrillo’s mission, master plan, and statewide community college work in Guided Pathways. Approval of this program will benefit regional employers, fulfill the workforce needs of the local community, augment college enrollment, and support non-traditional and underserved minority students in a viable career and academic path. This program would give our students the knowledge and skills they need to move onwards to a two year degree, a four-year institution, or excel in the workforce.

Based on the regional labor market information, there is a large labor market gap in the Bay region with 1,332 annual openings for the Web Design occupational cluster and 39 annual (3-year average) awards for an annual undersupply of 1,293 students. In the SC-Monterey Sub-Region, there is also a gap with 230 annual openings and 20 annual (3-year average) awards for an annual undersupply of 210 students.

Based on all available data, there appears to be an “undersupply” of Web Design workers compared to the demand for this cluster of occupations in the Bay region and in the SC-Monterey sub-region (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz counties). There is a projected annual gap of about 1,293 students in the Bay region and 210 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region.

The goal is for students to gainfully employed and continue to the workplace or transfer to a university. Working with employers to identify earning potential is promising, with potential for a starting salary of $39,000-$44,000/yr in jobs such as digital interface designer, UI/UX researcher, designer or engineer, web development, and/or frontend or backend engineer. It is critical to give community college students educational and professional experience that is necessary to be successful when they enter the workforce or transfer to earn a degree or certificate in other web design and development professions.

This certificate includes 17.5 units of required core coursework in digital media focusing on web and graphic design, the user experience, and web development. 

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
DM1	Intro to Digital Media	4	S1
DM4	Digital Graphics	4	S2
DM20	Intro to Web Design and Development	4	S1
DM56	Web Design using WordPress	1.5	S1
DM21	Intermediate Web Design and Devel	4	S2
DM22	Introduction to UI/UX	4	S2

The Web Design Certificate of Achievement is a new certificate program that combines three previous skills certificates into one certificate of achievement. The certificate is based in digital media and all of the required courses are courses in the digital media department. This certificate is also packaged as part of a focus group in the Graphic Design - Associate in Science.

The Web Design Certificate of Achievement is a program that has been on offer as a skills certificate and regional colleges are aware the Cabrillo College Digital Media department offers this certificate. Other colleges in our service area do not offer a similar program.  We have modeled from successful programs such as Foothill College, located in our regional service area and Santa Barbara City College, outside of our regional service area.  We plan to provide a comprehensive curriculum for our students and continue to develop strong workforce professionals in the area of web design and web development.  The sequencing of courses is designed to prepare students to join the workforce at entry level positions or transfer to a university to continue their education. Furthermore, program content and program mapping have been chosen based on industry needs as expressed by our advisory committee.