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When El Centro resident Jose Samuel Gonzalez saw that Imperial Valley College was
going to launch a lithium training program in fall 2023, he knew it was an important
career-enhancing opportunity.
At the same, he thought it was a program that would benefit his father, also named Jose Gonzalez. To his surprise, when he brought it up, it turned out his father had already learned of the program and was just as interested in it.
Recently, both father and son were among the first 48 graduates of IVC’s year-long Plant Operator Program, the first phase of a larger Lithium Industry Force Training initiative, featuring a series of programs.
Now, IVC is gearing up to again offer the Plant Operator Program this fall as well as launch a second phase through the start of a Chemical Technician Program. A third phase will begin in fall 2025.
For IVC, the father and son team represent what the initiative is meant to accomplish—provide access to careers in burgeoning technologies and industries growing in the Imperial Valley.
"We are thrilled to celebrate the first graduating class of our Plant Operator Program,” said IVC President Lennor Johnson. “This program is a cornerstone of our comprehensive Lithium Industry Force Training initiative. We're particularly proud of this father-son duo, who exemplify IVC's commitment to empowering our students with the skills they need to thrive in high-demand, emerging fields like lithium development. We're committed to working closely with Imperial County to ensure our local workforce is prepared to meet the needs of this critical industry."
Jose Samuel, 25, said he is confident participating in the program will enhance his career opportunities. “It’s basically that we want to move up to a better life and to have better opportunities. You have to develop a skill and make your way though it, for the future and for our family. That’s what this program has done for us.”
His father, who is 61 and also an El Centro resident, said, “I want to be a plant operator, and I believe this program will help me.” The elder Jose, along with earning a certificate in the Plant Operator Program, also earned a certificate in water treatment from IVC this year.
For Jose Samuel and his father, the decision to join the program came after they found employment in 2023 in the Imperial Valley geothermal industry as general laborers. They started in the industry in January 2023 and continued into the summer just prior to the start of IVC’s program.
“We saw what the duties were of the plant operators, and we knew both of us were capable of taking on that work,” Jose Samuel said.
Both father and son said the year-long program was like “taking a master class” in the industry and created an experience that modeled what it would be like if they were already working as plant operators.
“It was really close to reality and very close to what the experience would be like and what would be expected of us,” Jose Samuel said. “I was able to ask a lot of questions and rely on a lot of different people and skills and knowledge from my classmates and teachers.”
He said he and his father are now submitting applications within the local geothermal and
lithium industries and are looking forward to the expansion of the lithium industry as new plants begin operation.
The lithium training programs come as the lithium industry continues to expand in the Imperial Valley under the Lithium Valley moniker, led by
Imperial County, with the potential to generate good union paying jobs over the course of coming years.
State and local government leaders have said the Imperial Valley is in a position to become a hub for lithium battery development and to support the state’s renewable energy initiative through the resources available largely at the Salton Sea.
The growth of the Valley’s lithium industry led Gov. Gavin Newsom to visit the Salton Sea region earlier this year to emphasize the state’s support.
IVC’s lithium programming was designed in collaboration with the county and lithium industry leaders. Each encompasses a one-year certificate program, emphasizing practical training that reflects industry needs.
The Plant Operator Technology Certificate presented to the 48 program graduates on May 29 incorporated comprehensive skills and technical knowledge gained within the year, making them proficient in plant operations with the ability to work in industrial settings, such as geothermal and lithium plants, and other similar operations.
As part of the instructional program, graduating students also qualify to obtain industry certifications through the Smart Automation Certification Alliance.
The new phase two program starting this fall to earn a certificate as a chemical technician aims to produce highly skilled technicians equipped to support the lithium sector's expansion.
Jose Samuel said he and his father would look forward to participating in phase two of the programming, and they would urge others looking for new opportunities to consider joining the college’s lithium programs.
“We actually have friends and colleagues who are interested in the program,” Jose Samuel said. “This is a great opportunity for everybody who works in construction, in welding or in the solar industry. It’s a really good program for hard-working people.”
