Promote job opportunity awareness among students, unemployed/underemployed residents, and other workers in need of training by working with a number of existing institutions, such as the Workforce Development Board, to encourage participation in “Cal Jobs”, expand availability of Internet access and promote opportunities through additional communication channels.
Improve the coordination between the needs of local employers and the local education/training establishment through maintaining ongoing communication efforts.
Address a general lack of technical skills and deficiency in workforce readiness among recent high school and college graduates by encouraging young residents to prepare for work within their local economy, promoting technical fields as well as college degrees, and educating young people of the existence of numerous well-paying technical jobs at local employers.
To generate awareness of this issue, interviews with even a limited sample of employers can be very illuminating. This information can then be used to improve the work-readiness of young people and inform programs that provide students with exposure to various workplaces and situations. Having employers as a part of an established process of educational-needs coordination could facilitate this kind of exposure.
Ventura County government is the second-largest employer in the County and has hired 2,850 new employees over the last three years. The County also has direct experience in encountering a shortage of candidates for key skilled jobs. As such, County personnel can play a role in the workforce-enhancement action items of pursuing best practices aimed at maximizing local hiring, in coordination with education/training providers, and promoting these best practices to help other employers address hiring challenges.