On November 7, the California Community Colleges San Diego and Imperial Counties Regional Consortium, Imperial County Workforce Development Board and SDWP held a joint meeting to gather input and build regional consensus on key sectors and priorities that will inform approximately $45M in workforce development invests each year for next three years. More than 100+ representatives from the community, education, community-based organizations, business groups, and workforce development professionals attended the Southern Border Regional Workforce Development Planning Meeting.
The community colleges and the workforce development boards each need to submit strategic plans to the state that align workforce development investments with the economy, labor market, and community needs in each region. Instead of independently drafting strategic plans, the leadership at the three organizations decided to write a joint plan that focuses on shared priorities across the region’s educational and workforce systems.
“By aligning our plans and seeking community input collaboratively, the public workforce system and the community colleges in San Diego and Imperial have taken a great step toward better system alignment. These shared plans will address the employment needs of our businesses while building pathways to prosperity for more individuals and families,” says Andy Hall, VP and Chief Programs Officer at SDWP.
The interactive meeting began with the attendees reviewing training and skills gaps across sectors in San Diego and Imperial counties, followed by discussion, input and voting on key sectors, occupations and priorities that the plans should focus on in the coming years.