Profile

Dawn Renae Rasmussen’s journey in healthcare administration has been one marked by dedication, hard work, and a relentless pursuit of growth. As she navigated through a changing industry, she found the need to take a step further in her career and enrolled in the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s (SDWP’s) Healthcare Administration Pathways program. Through the program, she began studying the healthcare revenue cycle through UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies.

After a long career in the title insurance industry, Barbara was faced with the harsh reality of job insecurity, shattering her retirement hopes. After being downsized several times and struggling to find stable employment, she contacted the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) and enrolled in the Older Adult Workforce program as part of the program’s first cohort. Barbara developed the tools she needed in the program to adjust to a changing workforce.

Tiffani is a program specialist on our trainings team. She tells us about her typical day, what she likes about working in workforce development and how she spends her time off.

At just 19 years old, Summer’s workforce journey is just getting started. Born and raised in East Oakland, influenced by her mother’s strong work ethic and desire for independence, she began working at 16. With the help of different community organizations and nonprofits like the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP), as a part of the Access to Career Pathways for Foster Youth program, she is offered a reliable support system while she navigates her career journey.

Since 2019, UC San Diego Extended Studies and the San Diego Workforce Partnership have collaborated to provide students with the opportunity to earn certificates in technical fields at no upfront cost. Most recently, in 2023 we launched UC San Diego Extended Studies & Google Career Certificates.

After almost seven years of receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) after being diagnosed with depression, anxiety and PTSD, Jennifer Smith found herself ready to test her resolve to head back into the workforce. Through the Ticket to Work program and with encouragement from her program specialist, Georgina Garcia, at the San Diego Workforce Partnership, Jennifer developed the tools and fortitude to successfully restart her career in healthcare administration.

The Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) is a think tank and social-impact incubator founded in partnership with the Brookings Institution, County of San Diego, and the San Diego Foundation. We conduct research and policy analysis to identify creative solutions to the region’s biggest problems, and we build cross-sector, multi-jurisdictional partnerships to advance those solutions.

For Spencer Howe and John Hornbrook of MRIaudio, investing in their employees is part of their company’s ethos. With support from the California Manufacturing Technology Consulting and the Workforce Partnership, MRIaudio was able to provide Lean 6 Sigma Training to their staff at a fraction of the cost. Read on to learn how Incumbent Worker Training funds made this possible. 

Being the only woman at a construction job site is not new for Jenifer Arce and Jesse Gomez-Villeda. In fact, that imbalance has only helped them thrive. Jenifer and Jesse are ironworkers by trade and instruct pre-apprentices in the Apprenticeship Readiness Program, a collaboration between the San Diego Workforce Partnership and the SD Building Trades Council. Here, they shared us why representation in construction matters.

Starting a career in healthcare required Israel Guzman to overcome countless obstacles. Through the Healthcare Administration Pathways program and the support from career navigators, he not only completed the program but also landed a job at Scripps. He tells us about the importance of shifting mindsets and staying true to yourself.