Reports
Priority Sectors: An Update on Labor Force and Training Needs
Please note this information has been updated. Please refer to the latest priority sector information available at workforce.org/reports or workforce.org/posters.
In 2014, the San Diego Workforce Partnership released a series of Priority Sector reports in collaboration with the San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association (SDICCCA). The five priority sectors include advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health care, information communication technologies (ICT), and life sciences. We identified and prioritized these sectors for workforce development because of their significant employment growth rates, strong wages and number of job openings.
This year, we are releasing an update for each of the priority sectors in a single report that provides new information and an overview of the changes each sector has experienced since the previous reports were published. This updated research will help guide the public workforce development system in supporting, developing and evaluating employment and training programs for the priority sectors.
Download Priority Sector Update full report
Advanced Manufacturing highlights
Tourism Sector: Employment Trends and Career Opportunities
The tourism sector is a critical economic driver in San Diego County. It plays a valuable role in improving the region’s quality of life, bringing in external revenue and introducing young adults to the world of work. This study works to inform the workforce development system of the employment pathways and career advancement opportunities that come from employment in this sector. The full report analyzes data on job growth, training opportunities, hiring challenges and in-demand skills from firms in the tourism sector.
Download the report (5 MB)
Public Sector: Employment Trends and Career Opportunities
The public sector is made up of publically controlled and funded entities, providing public goods and services to people living in San Diego County. This study focuses on 36 in-demand occupations in five key occupational clusters within the public sector: Administration, K–12 Educators, Maintenance and Landscaping, Public Utilities and Safety. It serves to inform the workforce development system—educational training institutions, the Workforce Development Board and community organizations—on how best to prepare the future workforce for these five occupational clusters.
Download the report (5 MB)
Nonprofit Sector: Employment Trends and Career Opportunities
The nonprofit sector plays a critical, but often unseen role in supporting and promoting activities that improve the lives of county residents, filling gaps in critical social services when needed. This study aims to inform the workforce development system—educational training institutions, Workforce Development Boards and community workforce development organizations—on how to best prepare the future workforce for this sector. The full report analyzes data on job growth, training gaps, hiring challenges and in-demand skills from firms in the nonprofit sector.
Download the report (5 MB)
Priority Sector Handouts
Please note this information has been updated. Please refer to the latest priority sector information available at workforce.org/reports or workforce.org/posters. We ask that you not reproduce or distribute the below as they contain outdated information.
A companion piece to the priority sector posters, these printable 2-pagers offer ideas on how to begin a career in each sector. Learn more at workforce.org/mycareer.
Download print-ready files (PDF) of Advanced Manufacturing Handout
Download print-ready files (PDF) of Clean Energy Handout
Download print-ready files (PDF) of Health Care Handout
Flip the Script: San Diego’s Opportunity Youth
There are approximately 43,000 opportunity youth in San Diego County. These are 16–24-year-olds who are neither in school nor employed. This study tells the story of San Diego’s opportunity youth and the organizations that serve them, and presents a vision for how we might flip the script for San Diego’s youth.
Download the report (5 MB)
In-Demand Jobs 2016
The In-Demand Jobs report uses employer feedback and labor market information to profile 55 of San Diego County’s top occupations. A list totaling 154 In-Demand Jobs describes employer trends and San Diego-specific information on wages, skills, job growth and employer expectations. This report acts as a guide for students and job seekers as they conduct their career explorations to enter or rejoin the world of work.
Download the report (5 MB)
Retail Industry: Labor Market Analysis
The retail industry sector employs approximately 286,100 workers, making up 19.2% of all jobs in San Diego County. In addition to its considerable impact on local jobs, sales tax revenue and quality of life in San Diego County, retail also plays a critical role in developing essential skills in the region’s workforce and introducing young people to the world of work. This report analyzes the retail labor market and its opportunities for career advancement.
Download the report (5 MB)
Specialty Foods and Brews: Labor Market Analysis
One of the San Diego Workforce Partnership’s Priority Sectors, San Diego’s Specialty Foods & Brews sector encompasses the region’s strong brewery, beverage and food culture. This report serves to inform the workforce development system on how to best prepare the future workforce for these two subsectors, analyzing workforce needs and opportunities in the industry, including hiring challenges and skills in demand from Specialty Foods & Brews employers.
Download the report (5 MB)
Blue Economy: Labor Market Analysis
San Diego’s Blue Economy encompasses Blue Technology or “BlueTech” jobs, referring to technologically-advanced activities and methods to solve water-related issues, and traditional maritime occupations that increasingly incorporate BlueTech into their work. This report serves to inform the workforce development system on how to better prepare the future workforce by analyzing job growth, hiring challenges and skills in demand from Blue Economy employers.
Download the report (10 MB)