Business Engagement

San Diego Regional EDC is an independently-funded economic development organization that mobilizes business, government and civic leaders around an inclusive economic development strategy

Recon-RF connected with the San Diego Workforce Partnership after having a hard time finding good candidates to fill a multitude of open positions. By tapping into multiple service offerings, including TechHire, they were able to hire new employees and retain employees when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

The Workforce Partnership School Break Externship program provides up to 100 high school and college students ages 16-24 with paid, short-term work experiences.

“We are all grappling with a new reality and it looks different for everyone. I wanted to provide people with something to help manage what they were going through.”

We know that one of the groups hit hardest by the pandemic is small business. From March through today the San Diego Workforce Partnership supported an influx of over 660 businesses impacted by COVID-19, including 490 employers and 75K+ employees impacted

Amidst the rain clouds of bad news, one California initiative is offering hope by transforming traditional restaurant operations to kitchens that provide food on a sliding scale to low-wage workers, health care professionals, first responders, and others in need.

In 2005, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and Bank of America launched Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) to help close the racial wealth gap by supporting businesses and entrepreneurs in inner cities.   This one-of-a-kind program provides tuition-free executive leadership training to business owners in economically distressed areas. The

With unemployment low, employers struggle to find the talent needed to fill their high demand jobs, while many job seekers and workers sit on the sidelines without the skills they need to make their next move. Employer-led solutions are key to building the education to employment  pipeline  in an  inclusive economy. 

This “job fair alternative” brought job seekers directly to employers with a self-guided walking tour. The event played to the uniqueness of North Park to help young adults engage with local business owners, learn about new industries, explore entrepreneurship and gain employment. There were 69 job seekers and 16 businesses who participated in the event.

In collaboration with the James Irvine Foundation, the San Diego Workforce Partnership hosted an employer roundtable on May 21 where San Diego service sector businesses—which includes those rooted in customer facing roles (restaurants, hospitality, retail, etc.)—discussed what is working well and what key challenges exist within their realm of workforce development.