Workforce Development

The San Joaquin Valley’s economic success depends on a skilled workforce prepared for knowledge-based jobs. However, the education gap of Valley residents is significant – U.S. Census shows that only 15 percent of adults (during 25 years) have a bachelor’s degree compared to 28 percent statewide. The need for meaningful collaboration between higher education institutions and industry has never been more critical to develop a skilled workforce.

Central California Workforce Collaborative (CCWC) is a partnership between the workforce development boards (WDBs) and represent the San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Kern/Inyo/Mono, and Mother Lode counties.

California Workforce Investment Board Slingshot
Approximately $1 million has been infused into the San Joaquin Valley to fund several strategies. Fresno is serving as lead in collaboration with partners from community colleges, economic development, and employers in the manufacturing and construction/trades industries, to facilitate the needs of industry-related training, credentials/certificates, and career pathways, reciprocity of existing curriculum, and prior learning assessment and credit. See Full 2016 Review

The Workforce Development Work Group focuses on aligning workforce development resources to the needs of target industries that are thriving in the San Joaquin Valley – agribusiness, manufacturing, supply chain management and logistics, health and medical care, and renewable energy.

Create a demand-driven workforce investment system that supports target clusters

• Align workforce development resources to support target industry clusters
• Occupational analysis of key jobs in target industries
• Web-based inventory of vocational training and “gap analysis”
• Regionwide business intelligence tool
• Address workforce supply on a regional basis
• Align career technical education with target industries
• Establish the San Joaquin Valley Workforce Consortium
• Align the efforts of the San Joaquin Valley’s economic development corporations, San Joaquin Valley Workforce Consortium, and Central Region Consortium