Nearly 20% of Santa Barbara County residents lack a high school diploma, which is nearly 3% higher than the state average, according to the 2024 State of the Workforce Study.
The Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board is hoping to change that through a new collaboration.
The Workforce Development Board and Allan Hancock College entered a memorandum of understanding last Tuesday to create a general educational development (GED) testing center in Santa Maria. The board also received $50,000 from the California Adult Education Program to ensure that the two agencies can open and maintain the center…