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Executive Director’s Message
As 2014 draws to a close and we look toward a new year that will bring exciting changes to our public workforce system, I would like to acknowledge the Workforce Development Board’s accomplishments and highlight what is in store for 2015.
As the economy improves and hiring is at its highest level in years, our EASTBAY Works America’s Job Center of California (AJCCs) locations are seeing diminishing traffic. Unemployment rates in the region continue a steady decline and more businesses are feeling the competition for qualified candidates, a stark contrast from the environment of just a year or two ago.
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FutureBuild students learn how to install solar panels.
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Construction Becomes Priority Sector, Workforce Development in Motion
At its November full board meeting, the Workforce Development Board voted to adopt the construction industry as an additional priority sector as recommended by the WDB Business and Economic Development committee. Since 2011, construction jobs have increased 26 percent in Contra Costa County, and labor market experts expect this trend to continue.
To ensure that employers have a pipeline of talent ready to fill construction jobs, programs like East County’s Future Build and West County’s RichmondBUILD continue to train young people for careers in solar, energy and construction trades.
In addition to their classroom and laboratory training, students must participate in a community benefit project to test their practical skills. Future Build’s Cohort 6 worked on a rest area at Highlands Ranch Dog Park and began clean up and prep work at Small World Park Mission.
In November, both Future Build and RichmondBuild held graduation events to honor the young people who had completed the pre-apprenticeship certificate training.
“The long term goal for Future Build is to provide a life-changing experience that results in the graduate being re-engaged in education, work, family and community,” said Gerry Dunbar, program administrator.
In his valedictorian speech, Ray S. had a message for his classmates: “Let’s go make some money and build our futures. Believe in yourself and wear your safety gear!”
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FutureBuild Program Director Gerry Dunbar congratulates Justin S., who was a co-valedictorian along with his brother Ray.
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Roundtable Highlights Skill Gaps in Advanced Manufacturing
The Workforce Development Board, in collaboration with the Design It, Build It, Ship It initiative,hosted a roundtable event this fall to discuss the state of advanced manufacturing in the region. Attended by business leaders from a dozen local companies and representatives from industry associations, colleges and economic development organizations, participants addressed efforts to reduce existing “skills gaps” by identifying training needs and strategies to better prepare workers for high-wage jobs in this sector.
The WDB’s advanced manufacturing workgroup worked tirelessly in 2014 to bring together industry leaders to evaluate the hiring, technical skills, marketing and collaboration challenges and opportunities related to this industry – one of the five priority sectors outlined in the WDB’s strategic plan.
Several industry participants expressed their struggle to find quality applicants for available jobs, and cited the need to continue partnering with local community colleges and others to develop rigorous and relevant career pathways for students interested in this field.
“This skills gap is something that we’re seeing across all types of manufacturing,” said Jill Nohl, Workforce Development Board member and Human Resources Manager for C&H Sugar. “And while technical skills are essential, we also need employees who are creative and collaborative, who show up on time, follow safety rules, and function as part of a team.”
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Biomedical Manufacturing Network Growing in East Bay
With the recent addition of AllCells, the federally-funded East Bay Biomedical Manufacturing Network continues to expand, offering participating companies access to business assistance, technology transfer, education and training, and network-building services offered through a number of regional partners.
This fall the Network hosted meet-ups in Concord, Berkeley and Emeryville, and sponsored a 2-day Biomedical Entrepreneurship Symposium at UC Berkeley, which featured discussions about workforce trends in the life science industry, university-industry research collaborations and promoting an entrepreneurship culture within the university system.
“The biomedical industry is growing rapidly in California. By supporting the companies in our network, we are supporting the growth of this key industry that will drive the creation of new products and services that can reach the global market,” said Dr. Gregory Theyel, program director of the East Bay Biomedical Manufacturing Network, for which the WDB is a partner.
Early next year, the Network will continue its efforts to get more Contra Costa County companies involved, hosting a meet-up in Richmond at the East Bay’s largest co-working space, TopLine.
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Job Seeker Finds Success in Alternative Energy Training
In February 2012, David B.began visiting the San Pablo AJCC because he had been laid off from his job and wanted to find a new career that allowed him to use the skills he had gained as a journeyman electrician. He decided to train for a position in wind energy and chose a school in Tehachapi – about 300 miles south of Contra Costa County.
WIA funding covered about half of his training, and with the help of his church and a scholarship from the Airstream school, he was able to cover the rest.
Today, David is employed and thriving. He was so grateful for the opportunity to find this new career, he wrote a thank you letter to President Obama.
“I would like to personally thank you and your administration for supporting the various programs that make it possible for people like myself who started out on the wrong road in life to once again enter the workforce with a skill set that matches today’s job market demands,” David wrote.
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“Hiring Season” is Here
Local TV station KPIX visited our Concord job center recently to find out why the end of the year is a good time to find work – and we’re not just talking about seasonal jobs.
Click on the icon below to watch the segment.
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Congratulations to Donna Van Wert and Rochelle Soriano for their recent appointments. Donna became the permanent One-Stop Operator Consortium Administrator with the Workforce Development Board after serving in this role in an acting capacity for the past year. Donna oversees the operations of Contra Costa County’s America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) network and its array of services and partnerships.
Rochelle became the permanent executive assistant to WDB Executive Director Stephen Baiter in November 2014; prior to this she served in different support staff roles for WDB operations.
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SBDC Receives GO-Biz Grant
Our SBDC was awarded a performance contract that began on Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2015. The funds are restricted to individualized advising with the objective of accessing debt and equity capital (excluding owners’ investments).
The SBDC expects to serve 70 current and aspiring small business owners with an average of 20 hours per project, resulting in about 14 loans of about $100,000 funded by the end of the period for a total impact of $1.4 million in new lending.
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Agricultural Summit Coming to Brentwood
Mark your calendar for Friday, Feb. 27, 2015 for the Economic Development Summit in Brentwood. The focus will include agriculture, food processing, water usage and tourism.
The special event, hosted by the EC2 Collaborative, the CIty of Brentwood and the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust (BALT), will take place at the Brentwood Community Center.
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