Omar Baza is the career navigator for our CyberHire program, which provides training and certification to help job seekers start careers in cybersecurity. We asked Omar about his work and how he spends his free time.
What do you like best about working in workforce development?
I truly enjoy it all! I take pride in collaborating with community partners, creating internal structure and processes and connecting with participants. Most enjoyable is hearing first-hand from our participants that we’re making their dreams comes true. Whether that’s through retraining, upskilling, providing professional development or job search support. CyberHire participants have shared that they all had the interest and passion for IT/Cybersecurity but may not have known how to achieve those dreams or overcome certain barriers.
What professional moment or project are you most proud of?
Just last month, and within a year employed at the Workforce Partnership, I humbly received the Workforce Champion 2022 award for my leadership. Although this was an individual award, I believe the entire CyberHire program and team also won the award! It takes a village to stand up a new program and, in this case, a whole workforce.
If you had $30,000 to donate to a workforce development program, what would you want done with it?
I recently toured Cajon Valley Middle School where I learned about their career center and how the school is integrating the RAISEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional) framework in their coursework. It’s extraordinary to see their innovative approach to engage middle school-aged students in career exploration and interests early on. This curriculum is empowering students to think differently and setting them up for success. As I reflect on my upbringing, it would have been a golden opportunity to have learned about careers at an earlier age. As such, I would happily donate the funds to early career exploration to expand the great work Sarah Burns and the learning team at the Workforce Partnership are doing.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working? Any new hobbies since we started working from home?
Since I started working from home, picking up golf was a natural next move for me during the pandemic. I wouldn’t say I’m ready to go on tour, but I can get around an 18 hole. I’ve always been one to enjoy the outdoors whether it’s hiking, bonfires at the beach or a Padres games. I love spending time around San Diego with my fiancé, hitting up a ton of great food spots, especially with views, taking road trips to visit my family in San Luis Obispo, getting started on home projects or some sort of professional development.