2023 marked a year of great changes at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. Through it all we maintained our commitment to fostering economic opportunities, addressing disparities and creating innovative solutions for workforce development in our region. Below are ten key moments that made up our year.
1. Tony Young Appointed Interim President & CEO
We welcomed Tony Young as the Interim CEO, bringing over three decades of public service and nonprofit leadership experience.
2. Foster Youth Program Launch
The launch of Access to Career Pathways for Foster Youth provided more workforce and educational opportunities, mentorship and essential resources for current and former foster youth.
3. Community Health Workers Apprenticeship
Approved by the Department of Labor, our Community Health Worker program is now federally recognized apprenticeship, addressing the need for behavioral health professionals in San Diego.
4. CareerEDGE Launch
Through CareerEDGE, a suite of tools providing self-paced training and virtual job search support, we provided job seekers access to on-demand classes, resume building, life skills classes and a job interview simulator.
5. Heber Elementary School Learning Lab
In collaboration with Heber Elementary School District, we established the learning lab, known as Launch Pad, to help guide seventh and eighth grade students towards future careers.
6. High-Performance Board Designation
The California Workforce Development Board designated the San Diego Workforce Partnership as a High-Performance Board. The designation recognizes the organization’s commitment to early intervention, support services and fostering a highly-trained talent pool.
7. Career Pathways for Those With Lived Experience
To address the high demand for certified peer support specialists in San Diego’s behavioral healthcare field, we designed the Peer Support Training Project, a certified career pathway for those with lived experience in mental health and substance use challenges.
8. New Board Members Appointed
We welcomed three new board members: Dr. Tina King, Dora Mendivil-Angulo and Gina Lee, to our Workforce Development Board.
9. California Employer Action Lab Collaboration
We collaborated with Talent Rewire and Unite LA to launch the California Employer Action Lab, an immersive learning experience aiming to transform the talent paradigm for both employers and employees.
10. Helped Job Seekers and Businesses Reach Their Workforce Goals
Our business representatives provided one-on-one support to employers like FutureStitch and Sticky Digital through initiatives like On-the-Job Training (OJT). While our career navigators worked to provide career readiness training and job placement for hundreds of job seekers.