California Economic & Workforce Development - California Community Colleges

EWD Industry Study

Mobile Media Implications for Workforce Demands

The Centers of Excellence recently released a study of mobile media focused on the mobile media labor market and its workforce needs. As a technology rather than an industry, workers in multiple industries will need to learn new mobile media skills and perform new job functions. A survey of over 400 firms revealed that the occupations most impacted will be: software engineers, computer support specialists, project managers, web developers, and graphic artists/designers. Survey respondents also indicated that they would be adding 1,300 new mobile media jobs over the next 12 months.

A second report, Social Media in California, reveals that there will be 30,000 job openings projects in five social media occupations over the next five years. These occupations are in: public relations; marketing and media communications; business: development, sales, and advertising; and social media management.

These findings suggest that an update of skills represents a significant opportunity for community colleges. The full reports for both social media and mobile media can be accessed at: http://www.coeccc.net/products_industry_scans.asp.

COE is a primary source of information on emerging industries and in-demand occupations, customized for community colleges to take action. For more information, please contact Elaine Gaertner, Statewide Director, at elaineg@cccewd.net.

EWD Industry Study

Job Growth in Waste/Wastewater Agencies Through 2015

California's demand for water continues to increase as the state's population grows. As such, water and waste management efforts are crucial to not only the health and welfare of Californians but the economic vitality of the state. Industries from agriculture to healthcare are impacted by the distribution and maintenance of clean water.

Water distribution and treatment functions are performed by a variety of water and wastewater agencies or utilities that need qualified professionals to carry out these processes and to maintain water systems and equipment. However, due to a number of factors, including anticipated retirements of incumbent workers and a growing need for services, these professions are projected to experience labor shortages in the near future. According to a recent Center of Excellence study examining seven mission-critical occupations in Southern California, there will be as many as 4,400 new and replacement job opportunities for water and wastewater operators, mechanics, electricians and maintenance technicians over the next three years in this region alone.

The challenges that water and wastewater employers face in the current economic environment demonstrate a need for creative workforce preparation solutions developed in partnership between the industry and community colleges. A variety of training and education options are needed in order to (1) increase the number of qualified applicants entering the workforce and (2) ensure that incumbent workers are proficient and up-to-date in water and wastewater competencies, skills, and technologies.

Among the key workforce and hiring needs are:

• 65% of employers reported difficulty hiring Electronic Maintenance Technicians/Instrument Technicians.
• A majority of employers reported difficulty in hiring Water and Wastewater Treatment Operators.
• Water quality analysts and water conservation specialists are becoming more common in the industry and could create job opportunities for those seeking employment in these industries.

Community colleges are already well positioned to address these employer needs. Twelve colleges in the seven-county Southern California region have developed core competencies in providing water and wastewater education and training. Some of the upcoming challenges include accommodating all interested students in the available classes, as well as developing business and industry partnerships that match hiring organizations with trained and available workers. The complete industry report and related studies may be viewed at www.coeccc.net/water.

Colleges, industry partners, foundations, or workforce organizations that have inquiries or partnership interest in customized labor market research studies should contact Elaine Gaertner, COE Statewide Director, at (408) 288-8611 or elaineg@cccewd.net.

Building the Leaders that Create Jobs

Summit Prepares Central Valley Business Leaders for Growth

A December 2011 study by the Center for Creative Leadership, "Future Trends in Leadership Development," describes a rapidly changing business environment driven by technological advances, economic challenges, and global interconnectedness. This environment challenges business leaders to become more complex thinkers and develop not only new skills, but to develop new models for leading and growing their organizations.

After identifying local and regional business needs for leadership development due to newly promoted supervisors and management changes/retirements, the Workplace Learning Resource Center (WpLRC) at Merced College hosted a Manager and Supervisor Summit in September 2011. The Summit provided training to 175 business leaders in the Central Valley, many of whom traveled more than 90 miles to take advantage of this outstanding development opportunity.

The Summit offered a series of training programs delivered in a "fast track" format that focused on motivation, coaching, employee performance, communication, conflict resolution, and general management. This format allowed managers to customize their learning experience to meet their specific needs. Attendees had the option to choose three courses from 15 dynamic options including sessions on relevant topics like social media, cultural diversity, technology management, employee engagement, change management, and emotional intelligence.

"The Supervisor Summit was developed as a result of the California Community Colleges in the Central Valley listening to the needs of our business partners, and then being responsive to their number one need-training for managers and supervisors," said Merced College Workplace Learning Resource Center Director Becky Barabé. "This Summit was an amazing success and we definitely hit the target, selling out for the event six weeks in advance. Many businesses thanked us for hearing them and are looking forward to making this an annual event."

To encourage the growth and development of participating businesses, the courses targeted employees with great potential, new supervisors, and experienced supervisors, managers, and business executives. "If you need quality training and a reasonable price, you should work with the Workplace Learning Resource Center," said Human Resource Manager for Quad Graphics Lesley Peeler. "We have, and it has made all the difference."

The Summit demonstrates how the WpLRC's are addressing regional needs through sustainable programs that will have an impact statewide. "By listening to business and industry, our Centers are able to provide innovative solutions that address business needs in a format that works for them," said Statewide Director of WpLRC Bruce Whistler. "We are so pleased with the success of this Summit in the Central Valley, that we are looking to offer similar training events in additional regions of California in 2012."

To learn more about sponsoring or attending the next Manager & Supervisor Summit, contact Bruce Whistler, Statewide Director at bwhistler@cccewd.net. More details will also be posted online at www.wplrc.org as events are scheduled.

Jobs in Interactive Media

Preparing Businesses for the Future

The explosion of interactive and social media applications and the recent emphasis on multimedia marketing can leave businesses struggling to learn and implement these technologies within their own skill limitations and budgets. The Interactive Internet and Mobile Applications for Business (iima4biz) Initiative created several programs to help businesses grow by improving local competitiveness and by training workers to the new media skills required in today's marketplace.

Recently, the iima4biz developed hands-on intensive two-day workshops for small business owners designed to transform their outlook on the internet and its vital link to today's social media consumer. To broaden the reach of the workshops iima4biz used a TV studio and recorded a live workshop over a three-day period. The resulting workshop videos, on-line training tools and discussion boards will be available to all Californians in early 2012.

Because Spanish speaking professionals and business owners comprise 20 percent of California's workforce, iima4biz elected to produce a full-day event in Spanish on the same new media skills as its small business workshop. Two 'Tecnificate' events were held in 2011 at Community College campuses, attracting over 500 Spanish-speaking business owners. Two more are slated for 2012 and will be broadcast live via video streaming, as well as recorded for future on-line viewing.

Finally, in 2011 iima4biz held a specialty workshop for California Assembly and Senate staff on the use of social media in government and posted the edited presentations on the iima4biz website. Hundreds of viewers logged in after the event to view the sessions that they were not able to attend. In 2012, iima4biz will continue to develop cutting edge workshops that contribute to growing local jobs, by increasing the capacity of business owners to use multi-media and interactive tools to help their businesses grow and succeed.

For more information on upcoming iima4biz events, visit www.iima4biz.org, or contact Stephen Wright, Statewide Director at (805) 496-8583 or swright@cccewd.net.

High Growth Jobs in Manufacturing

Partnership with Santa Clarita Worksource Helps Fill Open Manufacturing

According to the California Employment Development Department's Labor Market Information, the demand for Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, or CNC Machinists, is an area of growth within the manufacturing industry, primarily due to an aging workforce. Over 2,100 available jobs are projected statewide through 2018.

The Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) at College of the Canyons recently partnered with the Santa Clarita WorkSource Center to identify, select and re-train out-of-work individuals with skill sets in demand by the region's manufacturing companies. "The WorkSource Center's business services team is in a unique position to identify regional employers with job openings, but they needed a way to match these openings with qualified employees to help area employers grow their staff," said CACT Director at College of the Canyons Joe Klocko. "Accessing our training resources to bring jobseekers up to speed was a natural fit."

The partnership is focused on identifying individuals who possess high potential for job placement and job success to enter and complete the college's various Job Development Incentive Fund (JDIF) grant-funded training programs. The ultimate goal is the placement and retention of the trainees in new jobs and new career paths where both the individual and their employer companies succeed and prosper.

Potential trainees are carefully screened through a process that includes a workshop, a questionnaire, formal job skills assessments, and multiple interviews. Individuals that perform throughout the screening process are qualified to enter the program. WorkSource then produces a ranked list of qualified candidates and together with the CACT team, selects the class participants, who move on to rigorous technical training, interview skills training, and resume development assistance, all of which prepares them to meet with potential employers at a specialized job fair.

"The small class size, accelerated program pace, and the emphasis on providing training using the actual equipment that employers have on site means that our program graduates meet standards for entry-level positions that would otherwise require two to three years of experience," said Klocko. "The employers have their pick of qualified, trained candidates for jobs that they otherwise might struggle to successfully fill or retain."

For more information on how CACT programs and partnerships can help your business find or retain employees, visit www.MakingItInCalifornia.com or contact statewide CACT Director Jose Anaya at (310) 973-3165 or janaya@cccewd.net.

Preparing for Jobs in Healthcare

State Certifications Prepare Workers for Growth Occupation

The Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) is one of the only entry-level jobs in nursing care. Nursing homes, hospitals and residential care facilities employ CNAs to provide basic care for patients who are acutely ill, convalescent or elderly. CNAs are in high demand nationwide due to an aging population and increased incidences of disease. In fact, there are more than 3,300 new jobs predicted annually in California through 2018, according to the California Occupational Guides.

Employers require CNAs to be certified by passing a state competency/certification exam upon completion of a required 150 hours of classroom training. Although California Community Colleges offer the training through their Allied Health programs, the certification is handled separately. The Health Workforce Initiative at Golden West College manages the Regional Testing Center (RTC), which coordinates and processes the certification exams for nurse assistants in southern California. The RTC at Golden West College is a self-supporting enterprise with two full-time employees who coordinate certification testing for nurse assistants.

The RTC processes nearly 80 percent of the exams administered in Southern California, a volume that increased dramatically when several Red Cross testing sites closed over the past few years. The volume continues to increase, with the RTC serving over 9,200 candidates and administering 19,047 exams in FY 2010-11, an increase of 2,365 over the previous fiscal year.

"In this growing field, the Health Workforce Initiative enables California health care employers to access a pool of potential hires that meet both educational and state certification requirements, said HWI Center Director at Golden West College Mary O'Connor. "Seventy percent of our newly certified nurse assistants find employment right away,"

To provide testing services at multiple locations, the RTC contracts with independent coordinators in the region to administer certification tests to CNA candidates. "We're proud to partner with the small business community in order to expand our reach," says O'Connor. "In fact, three nurse-entrepreneurs have started their own businesses related to the education and testing of CNA candidates."

For further information on the programs or testing services offered through the Health Workforce Initiative, visit www.ca-hwi.org or contact statewide Director Linda Zorn at (530) 879-9069 or LZorn@cccewd.net

Keeping Businesses and Jobs in California

Helping Companies Navigate Regulatory Requirements

The Environment, Health, Safety, and Homeland Security (EHS²) Initiative provides leadership and assists in the coordination, operation and delivery efforts of four community college based Environmental Training Centers (ETCs). The ETCs provide affordable and quality training to business and industry in environmental compliance and management, occupational health and safety, homeland security/emergency response, and green technologies.

California businesses and government agencies often find that they are at odds over environmental health and safety issues. On one hand, government agencies must uphold existing laws through established enforcement systems. On the other, businesses sometimes struggle to comply with legislation and may view the enforcement as a barrier to economic success. This conflict occasionally leads businesses to locate outside of California or the U.S., and leaves government agencies struggling to find solutions or middle ground in its relationship with the private sector.

 

"By partnering with government regulatory agencies and acting as a liaison for private sector businesses, the ETCs assist with regulatory compliance issues and help ensure that business operations continue to run smoothly while any processes are updated or changed," shared EHS² Statewide Director Richard Della Valle. "This is especially valuable for small and medium-size businesses, which may not have the financial or technical resources to make necessary changes."

 

To address this challenge, the ETCs cultivate partnerships with larger corporations who are leaders in working within existing environmental, health, safety, and homeland security laws. These corporations, along with the ETC's regulatory partners, provide assistance to the small and medium size companies that lack the money or expertise to solve their compliance problems independently.

 

Among the free or low-cost services and training programs provided to these businesses by the ETCs are:

• Environmental Compliance - The ETC's help small to mid-size companies understand rapidly changing environmental regulations and standards and implement necessary changes.
• Training Compliance - Many government partners provide free training services to help companies train their employees and avoid costly OSHA citations.
• Facility Performance - ETC programs and partners provide no-cost training and distribution of free materials on preventing pollution, to help companies design, implement and improve their operations. Any investment spent in pollution prevention will ensure fair return and provide long lasting benefits. In addition, it will maintain a facility that is safe (hence lower insurance costs), compliant and capable of operating for years to come.
• Employee Opportunities - Training received via the ETCs boosts employee retention, encourages professional growth and development, and creates opportunities for pay increases and expanded career paths.
• Best Practices - Many companies who receive low-cost or no-cost assistance identify management best practices that they, in turn, are willing to share with other companies in related industries.
• Community Participation - Success in compliance creates an atmosphere of collaboration, which helps assisted businesses contribute more to their communities and develop valuable partnerships while becoming more pro-active in the environmental, health, safety issues concerning their own company as well as the rest of the world.

Overall, the ETC training programs and services support businesses in creating a workplace environment that aligns the talent needed for profitability and growth in a knowledge-based economy.

 

For more information on the EMS² initiative and available training and technical assistance, visit www.envtraining.org or contact Richard Della Valle, Statewide Director, at (925) 672-2209 or rdellavalle@cccewd.net.

Growing Jobs in Small Businesses

Support to Expand Product Lines, Increase Customers is Key

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses are playing a central role in the country's recovery, creating two thirds of the new jobs available in the U.S. each year. The President's National Economic Council 2011 report, The Small Business Agenda: Growing America's Small Businesses to Win the Future, highlights the importance of expanding and supporting the growth of entrepreneurs and small businesses across the nation. Additionally, in his paper, "Private Sector Dynamics: The Key to Understanding U.S. Growth", economist Donald W. Walls argues that "expansion startups" - new establishments launched by existing companies in a new geographic location or new line of business - outpaced new startups in job creation by 71 percent.

Supporting small businesses helps California's economy because it aids job retention and keeps independent owners in business. But, in order for small businesses to make an impact in the overall economy, entrepreneurs need support in the form of training, management resources, and/or assistance in identifying areas for expansion, in order to grow their companies. The Business & Entrepreneurship Center (BEC) Program provides training, resources, and inspiration to help Californians succeed as entrepreneurs.

"The BEC focuses our efforts on small businesses that have already started the process, which helps to expedite job creation," shared statewide BEC Program Director Michael Roessler. "Products and services become established in the first few years a business is open. So with existing business owners, the leap of faith has already occurred, and the pain of being a startup is in the past."

The BEC then helps these businesses identify ways to increase revenue, whether through gaining customers, introducing new product lines, or leveraging product success into new markets or channels of distribution. Revenue increases, and in turn, supports the job growth essential to economic recovery.

The BEC Program is committed to supporting businesses and growing jobs through small business training and entrepreneurship education efforts, and is closely partnered with the California Community Colleges to offer a variety of educational opportunities for the entrepreneur, including courses, degrees, certificates, seminars, workshops and small-business development centers.

To learn more about the Business & Entrepreneurship Center Program, visit www.buildcalifornia.org or contact Michael Roessler, statewide BEC director, at (916) 361-2964 or mroessler@cccewd.net.

The Link Between Summer Internships and Job Opportunities

Research-based Positions Expose Companies to Workforce Talent

The National Institutes of Health awarded $739 million in funding for research projects in FY 2012, a drastic reduction from previous years. Despite the decrease, California continues to garner the lion's share of research funding through the agency, driving a need for trained laboratory personnel across many scientific sectors, including biotechnology, as proposed projects are funded.

The gap between academic learning and real world laboratory experience has grown smaller as the result of a collaborative effort involving the Southern California Biotechnology Center at San Diego Miramar College, Prometheus Therapeutics and Diagnostics, and Life Sciences Association BIOCOM. This program, called the Internship Think Tank, brings together industry leaders to collect and disseminate best practices in internship programs.

Prometheus agreed to be the model test case, during summer 2011. Over a ten-week period, Prometheus researchers mentored five outstanding internship candidates. The program culminated in summer 2011 with the interns presenting the results of their research to an audience of their mentors, Prometheus staff and invited industry guests.

Dr. Sandra Slivka, director of the Southern California Biotechnology Center, explained the purpose of the internship program and her hopes for expanded industry participation in future programs. "Internships are key to the successful transition from school to work," said Slivka. "Without real world experience, students are less competitive in today's job market. Additionally, we want employers to know that we stand ready to meet their needs when they have opportunities to increase laboratory and research staff through newly funded research projects."

Prometheus Senior Business Partner Sheri Davis shared her impressions on the success of the program, saying, "It really was great for the research team to have the opportunity to mentor students who had such enthusiasm about the field. If researchers could have had the interns even one day longer, they definitely would have fought for it."

Plans are in the works to expand industry participation in the future, using 2011's Prometheus' internship program as the model. Prometheus has announced plans to expand their program in 2013 and BIOCOM has announced that an "Internship Program Toolkit" is available for other companies who would like to launch their own internship programs.

For more information on the Biotechnology Initiative and its available industry partnerships, visit www.cccbiotech.org, or contact Jeffrey O'Neal, Statewide Director, at (916) 484-8052 or onealj@cccewd.net.

Job Creation in Alternative Energy

ATTE Programs Help Fuel Expansion for Solar Provider

According to the California Energy Commission, electrical providers in California are required to source 33 percent of the electricity they sell to customers from renewable sources by 2020. This creates multiple opportunities for energy companies such as First Solar, a provider of comprehensive solar energy systems. The company is under contract to construct the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, which was recently purchased by NextEra Energy Resources and GE Energy Financial Services, and is being built on 3,700 acres of public land about 50 miles east of Indio, CA. This project, one of the first large energy projects in Southern California, is projected to employ up to 400 workers per year, and 630 workers at peak construction, which is not scheduled to end until 2015.

To ensure that desert communities, and indeed the state of California, fully benefit economically from these clean energy projects, the Advanced Transportation Technology & Energy (ATTE) Initiative at College of the Desert has partnered with First Solar and other utility-scale solar energy companies to develop and deliver workforce training for this emerging industry. ATTE is currently providing training in Palm Springs with funding from the EWD initiative, Employment Development Department, and California Energy Commission. Additionally, the ATTE Center has provided support to Palo Verde Community College in Blythe, and Barstow Community College in Barstow, to establish this training in other neighboring communities.

 

"The three partner colleges are strategically located to train workers for projects in California's key solar resource areas," says ATTE Director at College of the Desert Larry McLaughlin. "We also work closely with the local Workforce Investment Boards to enroll unemployed workers into the program, and with the regional trade unions and their apprenticeship programs, as many projects will be staffed through project labor agreements."

 

Peter Mayo, a COD ATTE training graduate who is now on the job at Desert Sunlight, puts a high value on the training he received. He was quoted in a recent article in the Desert Sun: "[The ATTE training program] laid the groundwork for what we're doing now. The theory is very important. You can come out here and [just put] posts in the ground, or you can understand you're part of the largest thin-film solar project in the world. That gives you a different outlook on what you're doing."

 

For more information on establishing business and industry partnerships with ATTE to help fuel expansion at your company, visit http://www.attecolleges.org/ or contact statewide director Peter Davis at (619) 473-0090 or pdavis@cccewd.net.

Agriculture Value Chain for California

Leading the nation as the largest agricultural producer and exporter, California agriculture is not only a $36 billion dollar industry - it's an economic powerhouse employing close to 2.5 million people, and generating an economic impact of $300 billion annually. Modern agriculture encompasses much more than farms and ranches; agricultural science touches every aspect of American society - from the individual consumer's health and safety to the nation's welfare, security and environmental sustainability. Increasingly, agricultural research is fueling innovation in many parts of the economy not generally associated with agriculture, such as energy, electronics, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. 

Agriculture Value Chain for California, an environmental scan recently released by the Centers of Excellence (COE), examines the impact of agriculture across the state, providing a unique perspective of four industry clusters: support, production, processing and packaging, and distribution; while also profiling key factors such as agriculture's economic impact, employment, outlook, workforce challenges and relationship with community colleges. Some of the report's findings include: 

• The outlook for employment across the agriculture value chain is healthy - employment estimates for the combined sectors anticipate as many as 180,000 new jobs by 2016.
• Farm, ranch and other agricultural manager jobs are estimated to increase more than 10 percent in the next five years, growth of close to 4,000 positions.
• Agriculture employers indicate a high level of importance for managers and supervisors understanding and applying local and state requirements, regulations, and incentives across all four value chain clusters (97% importance).
• Employers also indicate a level of importance for employees' understanding of agricultural products and services (59% importance).

When hiring for agricultural positions, employers placed emphasis on the need for specialized certifications; a requirement of hands-on experience whether from past jobs or internships; and the need for technical writing skills. Many employers indicated that they have difficulty with hiring employees that have adequate technical writing skills, diesel mechanic certifications, and skills needed for specialized positions. 

California Community Colleges are well positioned to address these skills gaps through customized training programs as well as through some existing curriculum offerings. The full study contains recommendations for the colleges to engage employers via partnerships and contract education. 

To view the current study, please visit www.coeccc.net. Colleges, industry partners, foundations, or workforce organizations that have inquiries or partnership interest in customized labor market research studies should contact Elaine Gaertner, COE statewide director, at elaineg@cccewd.net, or (408) 288-8611.

Mobile Media Implications for Workforce Demands

Mobile media software development is one of the fastest growing segments of the technology industry; Information Technology (IT) professionals expect application development for mobile devices to surpass the software development for all other media platforms by the year 2015. According to a 2010 IBM survey, mobile access to the Internet exceeded desktop access for the first time in 2008. A recent report released by the Center of Excellence (COE), hosted at Mt. San Antonio College, examines the emergence of mobile media and its implications on workforce demands.

A notable feature of mobile media development is the wide variance in the educational requirements of the workforce, as well as the entrepreneurial nature of this fast emerging field. At the upper end of the education spectrum are software engineers with advanced degrees and years of experience with developing software, systems, and technical capabilities. At the other end of the spectrum are self-taught computer technology experts, who are developing applications in their home offices and selling or licensing them to mobile media companies and vendors. Employers interviewed for the study emphasized the demand for people with "specific skill sets", regardless of a degree, that enabled them to create mobile websites, or new applications, using multiple platforms or programming languages.

As the field is still emerging, information on the number of jobs and occupations is yet to be fully identified, which makes it challenging for community colleges to develop programs that will groom the workforce pipeline. In an effort to further understand the demands of the mobile media segment, the COE will conduct a more comprehensive employer survey. The new survey results will be available later this year, and will provide detailed data on labor market and employment projections, as well as recommendations for comprehensive educational programs designed to prepare students to meet the growing workforce and training requirements.

To view the current study, please visit www.coeccc.net. Colleges, industry partners, foundations, or workforce organizations that have inquiries or partnership interest in customized labor market research studies should contact Elaine Gaertner, COE statewide director, at elaineg@cccewd.net.

San Diego's Entrepreneurial Business Culture: Clean Jobs Creation

The EWD's Centers of Excellence (COE) and the San Diego Foundation have jointly released a research report that sees clean-technology as a big job creator for San Diego County. The report, Economic Vitality: Clean Jobs in the San Diego Region, examined six subsectors of the clean tech economy in San Diego County and also drew upon an array of existing research studies that place San Diego third in the State, and seventh in the nation, in green job activity. The report states that clean tech has the potential to draw $250 million to $1 billion in future investments into San Diego, which could result in an estimated 5,400 to 27,000 additional jobs.  

 

Although there are many factors that have led to San Diego's leadership position in clean technology, some of the most vital are 1) the ability to attract talent and capital to the region; 2) strong leadership by public officials and industry associations; 3) abundant natural resources; 4) a culture of innovation; 5) active and supportive utilities; and 6) strong workforce partnerships, such as those between education and industry.  "With our entrepreneurial business culture, an educated workforce and plenty of skilled labor, our region is ideal for supporting this vibrant new sector," said Mayor Jerry Sanders.  

 

COE Research Director Laura Coleman authored the report, which can be accessed at www.sdfoundation.org.

 

Colleges, industry partners, foundations, or workforce organizations that are interested in inquiring about, or partnering on, customized labor market research studies should contact Elaine Gaertner, COE statewide director, at elaineg@cccewd.net. COE industry reports and analysis can be downloaded at www.COECCC.net.

Workforce & Economic Trends Study Informs Investment Strategies

The Northern California Center of Excellence in partnership with the Center for Applied Competitive Technology (CACT) Hub @ Cerritos College recently completed a series of research studies on manufacturing industries in California. Each study assessed and mapped the workforce and economic trends across ten regions; the findings are being used by the CACT to determine how to best serve the industry. Highlights include:

• Biotechnology: California's educated workforce, renowned research institutions, and access to venture capital have positioned the state as the nation's leader in biotechnology manufacturing. According to a national bioscience study released by Battelle Technology Partnership Practice in 2010, California saw more bioscience research and development, initiated more clinical trials, and awarded more bioscience postsecondary degrees than any other state. In the next five years, this sector is expected to add more than 18,500 jobs (10.5 percent projected job growth rate), growing considerably faster than California's overall economy, which is projected to grow by only 6 percent.
   
• Food Processing: Despite the economic recession, the food process sector has remained fairly stable for a couple of key reasons. (1) Food is a necessity. While the recession has caused many Californians to rethink their budget and cut back on non-essential items, the demand for packaged foods remains relatively unscathed compared to sales in other industries. (2) Demand for food exports is high. California exports more agricultural products than any other state in the nation with 12.9 percent of the nation's total agriculture exports. Production in the agriculture sector fuels growth in the food manufacturing sector, as these industries are part of a highly integrated supply chain.
   
• Aerospace: California is home to a robust aerospace sector with a strong supplier presence, a pipeline of highly skilled workers, and more NASA centers than any other state. However, the aerospace sector was significantly impacted by the economic recession and is expected to rebound somewhat slowly. Yet, every region in California except Los Angeles County is expected to add jobs over the next five years.
   
• Printing and Publishing: California's printing and publishing sector generated $35 billion in gross annual revenues in 2009. However, the demand for goods and services in this sector has dropped in all regions throughout California, due to changing consumer demographics, atomization of basic business processes, increased dependence on the internet, as well as the national recession. Over the next five years, the print and publishing sector will begin to stabilize, with projected decline of only 2 percent.

Nick Kremer, the executive dean of Community, Industry and Technology Education at Cerritos College said, "These industry profiles provide an invaluable foundation for understanding specific manufacturing sectors, identifying service gaps, and planning programs. One can get both a statewide and a regional picture of a given type of business such as food manufacturing. These profiles will be used by the CACTs and California community colleges statewide."

 

For more information and the full reports, please visit www.MakingItInCalifornia.com 

Innovative Strategies: Greening of Hospitals

Health care facilities are some of the largest contributors to pollution in the areas of waste, energy, toxics, and water.  Due to the vast number of facilities and cumulative impacts their environmental footprint is large.

The audience attending the Greening of Hospitals Workshop was fascinated to learn about the cost saving solutions for creating a healthy environment that were presented by guest speakers Wendi Shafir, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pollution Prevention Coordinator and Jack McGurk, President of Systems Improvement Initiators, Inc. The workshop was sponsored by the Health Workforce Initiative and Cottage Health System and held at Santa Barbara City College.

Sponsoring this workshop generated the opportunity to explore what local health care facilities were doing to green their hospitals. All in attendance were quite surprised by the innovative programs they had instituted and invited them to speak at the workshop.

Dennis Daniel, Director of Plant Operations for Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA discussed his idea that the landfill located near the hospital may be able to generate energy for the hospital. He not only had the idea but made it a reality. The methane gas from the landfill is piped a couple of miles to Marian Hospital's Co-gen plant and converted to electrical energy . Today this method powers approximately 95% of the hospital's electrical needs and saves them about $150,000-$200,000 dollars a year in energy costs.

Jo Vargas from Cottage Health System explained their Healthy Food Program, where the hospital nutrition program uses fresh produce from local farmers and also has a farmers market at the hospital during the week. This program idea was originated by an employee Ruben Cosio, Director of Hospitality Services.

Both these hospitals have other innovative green programs and a commitment to making their facilities a healthy environment for their patients and staff. For more information on Cottage Health System's other green programs go to http://www.cottagehealthsystem.org/tabid/1530/Default.aspx.

It makes sense for the people who dedicate their lives providing health care to patients to want to provide a healthy environment for their patients, themselves and the community.

The PowerPoint presentations from Wendi Shafir and Jack McGurk can be found on the HWI website under Presentations. If you would like more information on setting up a Greening of Hospitals Workshop, contact Patricia Duffy - Pmduffy@sbcc.edu or (805) 892-3673.

 

Innovative Strategies for New RN Graduates in San Diego County

The success in addressing the nursing shortage in California over the past 5 years has led to the unintended consequence of new RN grads facing difficulty securing their first jobs due to the economic downturn. Across the state, industry and education partners are looking at best practices to ensure that new grads are able to secure employment in a timely manner. Following are some innovative strategies which have proven successful in San Diego County.

Maryann Cone, MS, RN, NEA-BC, the Chief Operating Officer at Sharp Grossmont in La Mesa, CA, reports success with two specific strategies:

• Hiring new RNs into part-time positions, effectively doubling the number of new hire nursing grads, while providing them with health benefits.
• New Graduate Residency Program-program focusing on education and mentorship lasts one year, during which time the residents are full-time employees; if they have not been hired for a position on a nursing unit by the end of the year, they become full-time employees of the hospital float pool.

Ellen McKissick, MS, RN, Academic Liaison at Palomar Pomerado Health [PPH] in Escondido, CA, shared information about a new graduate residency program piloted by PPH in partnership with California State University San Marcos [CSUSM]:

• Non-paid residency program
• Didactic component: QSEN competencies, review of skills, and new RN role transition
• Clinical component: minimum of one 12-hour shift per week on Medical-Surgical unit [up to 36 hours based on needs of new grad and availability of preceptor]
• 15-week, 4-unit certificate course offered through CSUSM's Extension Program

Darlene A. Stevens, PhD, RN, Chief Nurse Executive & S. Marlene Ruiz, RN, BSN, MA, Director of Education and Consulting Services, Kaiser Permanente San Diego [KPSD] report the following 2010 New Graduate Support and 2011 Projections:

• The process for new graduates follows the regional model for new graduate preparation
• Initial 2 weeks focus on general orientation, followed by 40 hours of didactic, 24 hours of simulation lab, and 248 hours of clinical with a preceptor
• New graduates work out of the Nursing Administration cost center on a designated unit and can bid on posted positions after completing the program
• In Fall of 2010, two groups of ten were initiated
• The goal in 2011 will be to calculate the number of programs needed based on projected growth and retirement factors; current estimate is for two programs of ten students each
• In a time of few job opportunities in acute nursing positions, this model allows gradual addition of new graduates in a staged learning environment

 

Information & Communications Technologies: Key Sector for Growth and Economic Recovery

The ever-changing IT industry continues to present businesses with challenges around workers that have the right skill set for the emerging standards in Information & Communications Technologies (ICT).  ICT encompasses all emerging, evolving and converging computer, software, networking, telecommunications, Internet, programming and information systems technologies; ICT job functions impact all types and sizes of businesses.
 
EWD's Centers of Excellence (COE), in partnership with the Mid-Pacific ICT Center, have been conducting a multi-phase study of ICT to assess its integration into, and impact on, California businesses and workers. In the latest phase, the study draws on input from more than 600 employers throughout California, surveying traditional ICT firms and non-ICT firms on the importance of ICT job functions to their business activities.
 
A majority of employers feel ICT is strategically important to their organizations and that knowledge of ICT is increasingly important for their employees.
 
ICT occupations across all industries represent approximately 5% of California's workforce and earn a median wage of $35 per hour - 41% higher than the median wage across all occupations in the state.
 
ICT firms are expected to outpace the general labor market in two-year job growth. The surveyed employers reported a projected two-year growth rate of 3.8% overall, similar to existing estimates that suggest approximately 4% job growth for the state over the same period. However, within the survey sample, self-identified ICT firms expect growth of 8.5%, while non-ICT firms anticipated flat or declining employment growth over the next two years.
 
The COE will continue to study ICT impacts as it embarks on a series of regional in-depth occupational studies, surveying employers about ICT and its job functions with specific relevance to their region. Research objectives will also address current employment, future growth and emerging trends in these types of jobs.
 
To download the ICT reports, or to view other California industry reports, go to www.coeccc.net.

Read the latest EWD Newsletter: Grow California to learn more about EWD's innovative industry programs.

Just what is Economic Development?

Our guest blogger, County Administrator Claire Collins, from the County of Rockbridge, Virginia shares insights into economic development and its importance.

Economic development means different things to different people. We normally hear that it is creating jobs. It is much more than jobs. Economic development is a community process of defining and intervening in normal economic growth to create wealth opportunities and private investment. It is the process used to influence the direction of and make it easier and more attractive for private sector investment (for profit and/or not for profit) to occur. A community benefits from economic development through attracting new and expanding businesses and encouraging business start-ups. The goal of economic development is to increase the tax base, provide better jobs and diversify employment sectors.

To accomplish the goal of economic development, a community defines the type of economy it desires based on its assets and vision for the future and then creates and maintains a competitive product (buildings, sites, infrastructure and amenities) to attract private investment. A positive business climate and message from a community as to the types of businesses and jobs it desires to have and is willing to consider is a defining factor in sustaining and growing a local economy. Sustaining a local economy helps to maintain a stabilized real estate tax rate that without private sector investment would result in no or lost economic growth and investment and jobs. The marketing of a community’s competitive product and brand needs to entice and meet the needs of business by having building and property inventory available for private enterprise interested in relocation, expansion or creation of commerce and/or contributing to a local economy.

Public policy determines the success of any economic development program. Decisions made by government officials to adopt policies and make investments in education, transportation, workforce development, water, sewer and telecommunications infrastructure, social programs, natural resources, public safety, health care and other services impacts the ability to attract business enterprise to create jobs and investment. A pro-business climate promoted by all levels of government and the community is important in promoting economic prosperity, maintaining and enhancing the tax base and adding to the quality of life. Thus, economic development is about building healthy economies. Healthy communities recognize and know how to:

• Maintain and increase the tax base
• Create jobs
• Appreciate and retain businesses
• Diversify the economic base
• Be self-sufficient
• Maximize value of property through highest and best use
• Raise the overall standard of living of residents
• Consume locally produced products in the local market, keeping money in the community

Who performs the work of economic development? All of us do in working with government, private sector, regional authorities, chambers of commerce, regional economic development marketing entities and the state. Every person is a salesperson of their community by encouraging and nurturing private sector investment based on how a community defines itself and creates its economic vision and destiny.

In today’s economy, people are losing jobs. Companies are consolidating operations and cutting costs. While a community may be the beneficiary of jobs being relocated, another community may lose jobs and revenue from jobs being transferred elsewhere. This makes it more important for a community of a region and beyond a region to work together, share information, and define the type of private investment desired.

To that end, when the state or regional economic development agency contacts an economic development representative with an unknown prospect and supplies information on what the prospect is requesting in structure, land, and other amenities and the number of potential jobs to be created, it is up to the economic development representative for the community to respond back with information as available. This does not mean that the community is being considered by the prospect or that the prospect is interested. A prospect only becomes interested when they narrow down the communities to be considered and contacted for discussions to begin that may lead to performance of due diligence. Often the prospect determines if a community is supportive and welcoming of them. When a prospect contacts a community economic development representative and requests confidentiality based on proprietary information, the representative out of respect honors the prospect request until such time a prospect advises otherwise or the proposed private investment is ready to be made public. This is why it is critical for a community or region to identify the type of economic development wanted, create economic development strategies, determine target markets and develop a brand that defines the community and its vision for building a healthy community.

Health Information Management: Upward Trends in LA & Orange Counties

EWD's Centers of Excellence (COE) partner with business and industry to deliver regional workforce research to guide curriculum development at California community colleges and meet the needs of California's businesses for a skilled workforce.

 

The COE's latest report shows a high demand for health information management (HIM) and health information technology (health IT) workers.  The COE has recommended that new programs for HIM be established in the Los Angeles/Orange County area to address the rising trend.  These areas focus on acquiring, storing, retrieving and using health information in medical settings. The adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) is the biggest change in health information today.

 

In Los Angeles and Orange Counties, 715 new jobs are projected, representing a 12% growth in employment for Medical Records and Health Information Technicians (HIT) between 2009 and 2014. When retirements and resignations are factored in, a total of 1,511 job openings will occur over the five-year period, which represents 26% of all of the jobs in this occupation.

 

Currently in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, there are two programs for HITs located at East Los Angeles College and Cypress College; two private schools also have accredited programs. In 2008, 42 students graduated from local accredited AA/AS-degree programs for HITs and another 87 students completed shorter-term certificate programs.

 

At this rate, there will be 645 program graduates and completers from 2009-2014, but during this same time period there are expected to be 1,511 vacant positions. The data does not indicate how many of the positions in this category are for RHITs and how many are for medical records personnel, but it is clear that demand will be greater than the supply with 866 openings potentially going unfilled.

 

To download the full report, or to view other industry reports and scans, go to www.coeccc.net.

PG&E Partners with California Corporate College

Community by community, California employers have been partnering with California's Community Colleges in building their workforce talent for generations. California corporations, governmental agencies, associations and non-profits can find no better workforce development partner than their local community college.

 

California Corporate College works in partnership with California's Community Colleges to bring high quality, market relevant corporate training and workforce preparation services to California employers with needs that reach beyond their local community.

 

PG&E launched its PowerPathway project which offers a portfolio of programs aimed at building capacity within the state of California to produce the skilled workers needed by PG&E and the energy and utility industry.  One of their immediate needs arose with the purchase of 200 electric hybrid vehicles; fleet mechanics required training in the new hybrid maintenance technology.

 

The California Corporate College was brought on board to facilitate the delivery of this new training through the community colleges that were local to the eight sites PG&E selected to receive the instruction.

The scope of work included a three-day Train-the-Trainer (TTT) session for faculty from identified districts in the two hybrid technologies (Ford & GM). The first TTT was delivered at Las Positas Community College, in which 16 faculty members participated. Proprietary materials have been provided by PG&E from Ford and GM.

The second phase of the project is already underway and includes the delivery of the three-day training at the eight PG&E sites throughout the state for 12-14 fleet mechanics per site.
 
College districts participating in the project include Los Rios, Butte-Glenn, Peralta, State Center, Hartnell, San Jose-Evergreen, Santa Rosa, and San Joaquin-Delta.

 

For more information about California Corporate College go to http://www.cccewd.net/test/initiative_ccc.cfm.