Ron Roberts is a San Diego County Supervisor, representing District 4. He is also the chair of the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s Policy Board.
SDWP: How have you seen our region’s workforce challenges change during your time with the Policy Board?
Roberts: The biggest challenge is the increasing need for workforce retraining. Early on, it was usually sufficient to provide an individual with a skill for a single job. Today, the job market is changing so rapidly that many workers are, and will, require regular retraining.
SDWP: You were instrumental in creating the San Pasqual Academy. Please share your perspective on this project and the SDWP’s part in providing opportunities for the young adults.
Roberts: I certainly view San Pasqual Academy as one of my most satisfying accomplishments as a member of the Board of Supervisors. The Workforce Partnership has been a tremendous partner and resource for the SPA foster students, providing career counseling, training, internships and exposure to inspiring mentors. Truly, the Workforce Partnership brings the world of work to that campus.
SDWP: What was your first job, and how did that experience impact you?
Roberts: My first job was as a supermarket box boy. I later advanced to checker, a position I held through college. Ironically, my architecture firm designed a lot of supermarkets and I felt that experience provided me genuine insight and perhaps even an advantage over competitors. So you never know in life how one job will support another later down the line. We can learn something useful from every job.
SDWP: What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of in your time as a County Supervisor?
Roberts: I am very proud to be part of a Board of Supervisors that has guided a golden age of county construction. It has left a legacy to future generations of largely paid-for projects that include libraries, parks, jails, office buildings and, for me personally, San Pasqual Academy, the County Operations Center and the County Waterfront Park.