Sector Initiatives

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.

Jeniffer Mendiola has had a passion for working with her hands from an early age, influenced by her uncles working in construction. The passion is made clear when looking at her work history, which reflects a pattern of physical if not mobile elements; from emergency medical technician (EMT) to welding and driving for Uber, her career journey took her through various career paths and industries. It was when she received an email from San Diego Continuing Education that she was able to find her way to becoming a certified electrician by way of the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s Construction Career Jumpstart (CCJ) program.

The construction industry is one of the largest in the world, many positions provide on the job training. Here are some of the top growing career paths in construction, energy and utilities that require a high school degree to get started.

If you’re looking to enter the tech industry, it helps to know what position you want so you can build the skills, usually by earning an industry-recognized certificate, you need to land your first job in the field. Here are the five fastest-growing tech careers in San Diego that do not require a four-year degree.

The San Diego Workforce Partnership, with support from the City of San Diego, is expanding three workforce training programs designed to help San Diegans from underrepresented communities secure quality jobs and launch meaningful careers in the region’s public and private sectors.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of adults in the U.S. reporting symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder increased four-fold from 2019 to January 2021. In response, the San Diego Workforce Partnership is launching this new program to address the increased demand for public mental health services and prepare San Diegans for careers in an industry with high growth potential.

A two-year grant of $1.5 million from The James Irvine Foundation will fund CyberHire San Diego—a movement that aims to increase the number of unemployed, underemployed and low-wage workers in quality cybersecurity careers. CyberHire will help San Diegans launch a meaningful cyber career that will help them support themselves, their families and our shared community.

Twenty San Diegans impacted by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis donned hard hats and picked up construction tools to embark on a paid, four-week hands-on training program preparing them for high-paying and rewarding careers in the region’s growing energy, construction and utilities sector. To date, 19 of the 20 graduates have received full-time job offers.