Focus On Recovery, Focus On Results Results Of Recovery

Annual Report2009-2010

“The purpose of the Workforce Investment Board shall be to provide strategic

planning, policy development, oversight and evaluation of

the local workforce investment system”

Results Of Recovery EffortsMonterey County Workforce Investment Board

Focus On Recovery, Focus On Results

Message from the MCWIB Chairman MCWIB and Youth Council Members 2009-2010 Snapshot of Who We Are County Overview and Geographic Area American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Results of Recovery Efforts Serving Youth: Focus on Results – Focus on the Future Serving Adults, Dislocated Workers and Businesses: Putting Our Workforce Back to Work Grants and Special Projects Community and Regional Partnerships and ProjectsTa

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“....(MCWIB) aggressively convened the partners and resources our communities needed to move toward recovery...

... focused on results...

... congratulations must be made to the thousands of motivated individuals...

Message from the MCWIB ChairmanIn the midst of a national economic crisis, in an environment that has created uncertainty for our government, businesses and citizens, the Monterey County One-Stop delivery system, overseen by the Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (MCWIB), has assisted hun-dreds of job seekers and businesses every day.

With more than 40 active community leaders representing local businesses, economic development, labor, education, community based organizations, state agencies, public and non-profit orgaznizations, the MCWIB aggressively convened the partners and resources our communities needed to move toward recovery.

During the past year, the MCWIB focused on results, maximizing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) federal funds to re-employ those negatively impacted by the recession. Increased funding to the workforce investment system, allowed us to further develop economic and workforce development strategies such as:

• Aligning skills development training with the needs of the workforce system • Creating regional partnerships to leverage additional resources into our community • Developing innovative programs to employ high risk youth, disadvantaged adults and those recently laid off as well as a newly created layoff aversion program • Collaborating with community colleges to support the emergence of green technology programs

Congratulations to the volunteer members of the MCWIB, Youth Council, and the partners and staff of the One-Stop Career Center delivery system who lead our local recovery efforts.

Finally, congratulations must be made to the thousands of motivated individuals who improved their skills and gained employment, while reinvigorating our local businesses throughout Monterey County. We thank you for allowing us to play a vital role in your success.

David Bernahl, II, Chairman, 2008-2010 Monterey County Workforce Investment Board

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Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (MCWIB) Members 2009-2010

MCWIB Youth Council Members 2009-2010

Committee Chairs

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Anthony Aniello AJ AssociatesBlas Barroso United Food & Commercial Workers Local 5Mark Bastis Hyatt Regency MontereyDavid Bernahl, II Pacific Tweed, Inc. and Coastal Luxury ManagementWendy Brickman Brickman MarketingRobert Brower Sr. Chateau Julien WineryDiana Carrillo Center for Employment TrainingMaria Castillo Monterey Bay Central Labor CouncilChris Chidlaw Chidlaw MarketingLinda Coyne Soledad Unified School DistrictErik Cushman Monterey County WeeklyAl Davis National Association for the Advancement of Colored PeopleHarry Gamotan Service Employees International Union 521Ruben Garcia Employment Development DepartmentDr. Douglas Garrison Monterey Peninsula CollegeRichard Gillis Energy Alternative Solutions, Inc.Scott Grover Boundword INC dba art-f/x greetingsHunter Harvath Monterey-Salinas TransitDr. Phoebe Helm Hartnell CollegeMike Hutchinson Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare SystemCesar Lara Monterey Bay Central Labor CouncilMary Ann Leffel Veritas Associates LLCMaggie Melone-Echiburu Clinica de Salud del Valle de SalinasSalvador Munoz Munoz and AssociatesJim Nakashima Monterey County Housing AuthorityLupe Palacio Candelaria American Indian CouncilDave Potter 5th District Supervisor, County of Monterey, Board of SupervisorsJudith Profeta Alain Pinel RealtorsElliott Robinson Department of Social and Employment ServicesRalph Rubio Carpenters Local 605Ken Scherpinski International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers LU 234Lawrence Silva Tanimura & Antle Fresh Foods, Inc.Teresa Sullivan Alliance On AgingMark Verbonich Public Affairs, Pebble Beach CompanyRobert Weakley Coastal Luxury ManagementJoanne Webster Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula

Erik Cushman, Chair MCWIB&ExecutiveCommitteeDavid Bernahl, II, ImmediatePastChair MCWIB&ExecutiveCommitteeRobert Brower Sr., PastChair MCWIB&ExecutiveCommitteeJoanne Webster,ViceChair MCWIB&HealthcareAdvisoryRoundtableAnthony Aniello, 2ndViceChair MCWIBRobert Weakley, Chair PlanningCommitteeMary Ann Leffel, Chair OversightCommitteeDiana Carrillo, Chair YouthCouncilWendy Brickman, Chair CommunityOutreachCommitteeRalph Rubio, Chair ConstructionTradesTrainingRoundtable Note:CurrentMCWIBChairs

Diana Carrillo Center for Employment TrainingRandy Bangs Mission Trails ROP Vivian Brennand Monterey County Housing AuthorityPamela Brown Monterey County Public Defenders OfficePatricia Carter WIA Eligible Youth Parent, CentralAndré Chapman Unity Care GroupLinda Coyne Soledad Unified School DistrictNatalie Garcia Employment Development DepartmentMark Gonzalez Northern California Cement MasonsJudy Morales Youth RepresentativeSalvador Munoz Munoz and AssociatesCheryl Ward-Kaiser Individual with Experience in Youth Activities

Snapshot of Who We Are

Source: US Census estimates 2009, 2006-2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, and Employment Development Department (EDD) Labor Market Information Division, monthly labor force data, May 2010.

Employment and training services are provided to a diverse spectrum of residents including specialized programs provided by our 16 local partners and subcontractors. Three of the partners are the major stakeholders and investors of the One-Stop Career Centers to include the Office for Employment Training (OET), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Employment Services (CWES) and the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD).

The One-Stop Career Center delivery system was created through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, to meet the needs of job seekers and employers. There are 49 local workforce investment areas throughout California that have One-Stop Career Centers. In Monterey County, there are three centers located in Salinas, Seaside and King City.

Through the One-Stop Career Center delivery system, services are offered to individuals seeking work and to businesses needing a variety of assistance in helping their business grow. Services include the utilization of resources from all of our workforce partnership agencies, job search assistance and placement, vocational and customized training, subsidized employment and reimbursement for items such as childcare, transportation, and tuition.This year, the Monterey County Workforce Investment Board’s (MCWIB) annual budget to support these efforts and the needs of our businesses and jobseekers totaled $15,262,355.

WIA funds, provided by the US Department of Labor, are given to local Workforce Investment Boards by a prescribed formula based on the needs and size of each local area. For Monterey County, the funds are administered by the County and overseen by the MCWIB. The MCWIB resides within the Monterey County Department of Social and Employment Services (DSES) and has responsibility for the distribution and oversight of the funds and services operated through the One-Stop Career Center system and its partners.

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Monterey County Demographics

Total population 410,370

Median household income, 2008 $58,822

Unemployed 11%

Labor Force, 2010 222,200

Employment, 2010 197,700

High school graduate (percent of population age 25+, 2000) 68.4%

Families below poverty level 8.6%

Individuals below poverty level 11.5%




Unemployed 11%









Unemployed 11%






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County Overview and Geographic AreaMonterey County is located on the Pacific Coast of the State of California, approximately 125 miles south of San Francisco and 350 miles north of Los Angeles. It is bordered on the inland sides by Santa Cruz County to the north, San Benito, Fresno and Kings Counties to the east, and San Luis Obispo County to the south. Monterey County’s 3,324 square miles include 100 miles of California coastline, Big Sur, and the Los Padres National Forest. The county is comprised of two distinct regions to include the Monterey Peninsula and the Salinas Valley, that runs almost the entire length of Monterey County.

Source: Employment Development Department (EDD) Labor Market Information Division, monthly labor force data, May 2010.

The Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (MCWIB) designated four geographic regions to include North, Central, West and South County areas in serving eligible Workforce Investment Act (WIA) economically disadvantaged adults, dislocated workers and youth. The service target goals for each region apply to all Monterey County WIA funded service providers.

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Monterey County Employment by Industry

Total Nonfarm 121,400

Total Farm 50,000

Government 32,900

Trade, Transportation & Utilities 23,200

Leisure & Hospitality 19,900

Educational & Health Services 13,900

Professional & Business Services 10,700

Manufacturing 5,700

Financial Activities 4,500

Other Services 4,500

Construction 4,300

Information 1,600

Mining and Logging 200

County Overview and Geographic Area

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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Results of Recovery Efforts The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 was passed by Congress and signed into law on February 17, 2009. Of the many initiatives in the bill, the workforce section focused on stimulating the economy to create and save jobs. The Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (MCWIB) received $7.1 million in stimulus funds, which allowed us to provide summer work experience opportunities for our Coun-ty’s youth and expand training and work opportunities to our adult and dislocated workers. It also allowed us to work with community partners to implement an economic sustainability program to provide immediate rapid response services neces-sary to avert lay-offs and to keep businesses viable and suc-cessful.

ARRA funds have allowed the One-Stop Career Center the op-portunity to serve nearly 2,000 businesses, by providing youth, adults and dislocated workers, work experience, recruitment opportunities and assessment services.

As a result of this substantial funding increase, as well as cur-rent employment and economic conditions, local workforce development programs experienced a significant demand for services. The $7.1M in ARRA funds included $4.8M for partici-pant costs (79%) and $1.3M for additional staffing (21%).

ARRA Youth funds ($2,833,111) Youth funds allowed for the operation and expansion of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) to provide 600 Monterey County youth with meaningful employment op-portunities, consisting of academic achievement, paid work

experience and career counseling to youth ages 14 to 24. The program gained national recognition by the United States Department of Labor for its youth-led work teams, where youth gained experience researching and documenting local issues of impact to their communities. In addition to gaining work experience in researching, writing and public speaking, the youth were able to make a positive impact for youth in our community that spanned across a three-city area.

ARRA Adult funds ($1,224,451) ARRA funded services were provided to unemployed and underemployed adults to support their entry or re-entry into the job market. The ARRA funding was used to increase available vocational training courses and prepare individuals for employment in local demand industry sectors, which include agriculture, healthcare and green technologies. Emphasis is placed on contracting with institutions of higher education and other eligible training providers, such as, community colleges to train signifi-cantly greater numbers of individuals using strategies to meet immediate needs while supporting long term economic recovery. Over 200 individu-als were placed into training last year. Some of the exciting new programs include Hartnell College’s Green Building Pre-Apprenticeship and Ag Mechanic Programs.

ARRA Dislocated Worker funds ($2,786,244) ARRA funded services were provided to dislocated workers recently laid-off to provide training opportunities to support their re-entry into the job market. The MCWIB allocated ARRA funding to increase the number of WIA customers who received training through individual training accounts. ARRA funding was also used to expand the On-the-Job Training (OJT) program to assist dislocated workers in obtaining employment and to en-courage businesses to hire residents who lacked industry-specific skills by subsidizing the cost of training. The OJT program also allowed companies to save individuals’ jobs by upgrading the skills of employees that were at risk of being laid off.

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ARRA Rapid Response funds ($292,724) The MCWIB has partnered with Monterey County Business Council (MCBC) to implement the Economic Sustainability Program to provide immediate rapid response services necessary to avert business closures and workforce lay-offs, and to keep businesses viable and successful.

MCBC has partnered with the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) of the Central Coast at Cabrillo College and California State University, Monterey Bay to provide a broad range of coordinated services and access to resources to support this program.

To date, over 573 businesses have been contacted, those in need of assistance are referred to the SBDC’s and other stakeholders to provide counseling in the areas of planning, promotion and sales, outreach and education, financing and loan acquisition, accounting, management and human resources. Intensive layoff aversion services shall be provided to a minimum of 100 employers. It is anticipated that 150 positions shall be retained as a result of the Economic Sustainability Program.

Serving Youth: Focus on Results - Focus on the FutureIn 2009-2010, over 600 youth, ages 14-24, participated in the ARRA Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) administered by the Office for Employment Training (OET). Over 300 youth participated in the year-round programs serviced by both OET and the Monterey County Workforce Investment Board’s (MCWIB) subcontractors to include Turning Point of Central California and Unity Care Group. Youth participated in a variety of services to include training, recruitment, internships and employment opportunities throughout Monterey County.

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“The youth employment programs are great and beneficial to everyone! We are training youth, and it doesn’t cost our organization. I came from the program and now get to give back and hire and train these youth... I know what these kids are going through! We go through the One-Stop when we hire individuals!” - Andrew Manzo, Store Manager, Footlocker Monterey “We have had great experiences with the program and are very thankful for the opportunity... we have requested youth every summer that the program has been funded. We continue to stay in touch with participants; one in particular was so motivated by the NPS students and faculty, that she received a Masters Degree and now works for Chapman University.” - Rose Drake, Academic Coordinator, Naval War College, Monterey, Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey County Youth Enrollments and ActivitiesNumber of youth enrolled 1,109

Total number of activities provided to youth 7,844

Work experience and internship enrollments 976

Classroom training enrollments 23

Job referrals and development 201

Workshop enrollments 1,195




Unemployed 11%






Serving Adults, Dislocated Workers and Businesses: Putting Our Workforce Back to Work

Additionally, ARRA funds allowed the One-Stop Career Center’s Business Services and Youth Services teams the opportunity to serve nearly 2,000 businesses, by providing specialized recruitment services, job referrals, and assessment and pre-screening services.

In 2009-2010, more than 7,000 unemployed, underemployed and dislocated worker adults accessed services through the Monterey County One-Stop Career Center delivery system and the MCWIB subcontractors: Arbor Career Center, Shoreline Workforce Development Services and Turning Point of Central California. Many of the services are available countywide, while others are targeted to specific groups, such as veterans and individuals with disabilities. Our system served over 700 participants, through 250 individual training accounts, 278 work experience and internship contracts, and 175 participants were provided on-the-job training contracts, all in various industry sectors.

Additionally, ARRA funds allowed the One-Stop Career Center’s Business Services and Youth Services teams the opportunity to serve nearly 2,000 businesses, by providing specialized recruitment services, job referrals, and assessment and pre-screening services. 11

Serving Adults, Dislocated Workers and Businesses: Putting Our Workforce Back to Work

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Monterey County Adult Enrollments and Activities

Number of adults enrolled 1,123

Total number of activities provided to adults 11,205


On-the-job training 146


Job referrals and development 976

Workshop enrollments 449

Monterey County Dislocated Worker Enrollments and Activities

Number of dislocated workers enrolled 1,365

Total number of activities provided to dislocated workers 13,875


On-the-job training 29


Job referrals and development 1,130

Workshop enrollments 177

Employer Services

Number of businesses served 2,000

Job order assistance 1,109

Candidate pre-screening 152

Review resumes and make referrals 126

Referred qualified applicants 201




Unemployed 11%









Unemployed 11%





Individuals below poverty level 11.5%Monterey County Demographics



Unemployed 11%






Grants and Special ProjectsThe Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (MCWIB) has formed partnerships with local community colleges, public and private partners, community based organizations, subcontractors and its Workforce Collaborative of California’s Central Coast (WCCCC), to write and apply for competitive grants and special projects totaling $1,856,862. The grants awarded allow the MCWIB to continue to partner with local organizations to efficiently and effectively serve One-Stop Career Center custom-ers on a county-wide and regional basis. The chart below reflects the current and previous, fiscal year funding.

“I am very excited about the [WIB] and Hartnell College partnering to create a pathway for sustainable careers in the construction industry. The opportunities this program will create have come at the perfect time for the future workforce of Monterey County,”

-Ken Scherpinski MCWIB member and Business Manger, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

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Grant Name2009-2010

Funding2008-2009

Funding

Total ARRA: Adult, DW, Youth, Rapid Response $7,136,530 -

Total WIA: Adult, DW, Youth, Rapid Response $7,059,763 $6,695,312

Total ARRA & WIA $14,196,293 $6,695,312

California Gang Reduction Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) Program

$500,000 $500,000

California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program Grant –Monterey Bay Green Building/Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program

$999,862 -

California Endowment Grant (Allied Healthcare) $44,000 -

Dept. of Corrections New Start $5,000 -

disAbility Program Navigator (DPN) $58,000 $72,000

Regional Industry Clusters of Opportunity Grant (RICOG) $250,000 -

Independent Living Program, Cal Learn, Cal WORKS, Silver Star & - $963,000

Total Special Grants $1,856,862 $1,535,000

TOTAL $16,053,155 $8,230,312




Unemployed 11%






California Gang Reduction Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) ProgramThis grant project serves youth who are at risk for gang involvement, gang-involved or gang members, 18-24 year olds, by addressing the need to connect gang members and youth to employment opportunities. Part-ners in this project include: the Office for Employment Training (OET), Monterey County Behavioral Health and Probation Department, the City of Salinas’ Office of Community Safety, Salinas Adult School, Salinas Youth Corps, Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, Silver Star Resource Center, Turning Point of Central CA and the local employers who support partici-pants’ academic and employment achievement.

Regional Industry Clusters of Opportunity GrantThe Workforce Collaborative of California’s Central Coast (WCCCC) was awarded $250,000 for developing the green industry clusters of oppor-tunity across the Central Coast Region. The three phase approach will initially evaluate and assess the available resources and research that are available in the region, using the clusters of opportunity to diagnosis and develop a comprehensive understanding of the region’s green industries. Santa Barbara WIB, the lead applicant, formed partnerships with the WIBs of San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Ventura Counties. This grant is intended to bolster regional economic competitiveness by building the capacity of regional collaborations to identify growing industries, under-take strategic planning and leverage public and private resources.

Disability Program Navigator (DPN)To expand existing services to persons with disabilities, the One-Stop Ca-reer Centers established the position of DPN through a grant secured by the MCWIB. Collaboration among a variety of public agencies, nonprofit organizations and employers has enabled the One-Stops to make prog-ress in helping persons with disabilities access the resources they need to find and maintain employment. The DPN is the primary staff person help-ing people with disabilities access the many programs available through the One-Stop System. In addition, the DPN educates employers and staff on disability related issues, including workplace accommodations, tax credits and working with clients on disclosing their disability. California Endowment Healthcare Project

In early 2009, the Workforce Collaborative of California’s Central Coast (WCCCC), WIB’s from Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, came together to examine the workforce challenges facing the region’s allied health community. Santa Cruz and San Benito counties also participated in this allied health initiative.

Administered by the California Workforce Association (CWA) and funded by the California Endowment, a consultant was retained with the monies received. These organizations also provided additional resources in terms of regional and statewide allied health workforce research as well as co-ordinated quarterly meetings with other regional efforts to communicate and learn from one another. The stakeholders in this initiative include regional healthcare employers, education and training providers and rel-evant non-profit associations that work with healthcare employers.

Different models for coordinating distance learning programs with other community colleges, apprenticeship models and initiatives for WIBs to work with participants is currently being addressed.

National Emergency Grant ProposalsTwo projects are underway to secure federal funds to provide 1) OJT funding on a regional basis (Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties) in partnership with community based organizations, and 2) to secure additional training funds specifically for workers dislocated from public sector jobs.

California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program GrantThe Monterey Bay Green Building Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, a collaboration with Hartnell College, Cabrillo College and Monterey and Santa Cruz County WIBs, began in September 2009 and enrolled 140 targeted participants. The project will serve a large population of unem-ployed, disadvantaged individuals from communities with high rates of poverty and low educational attainment.

Grants and Special Projects

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Community and Regional Partnerships and ProjectsCentral Coast Career Readiness ConsortiumThe Monterey County Workforce Investment Board (MCWIB) has part-nered with the Monterey County Business Council and Monterey County Business Education Research Institute (MCBERI) through a Central Coast Career Readiness Consortium aimed at utilizing the Career Readiness Certificate Program to certify worker skills through a series of WorkKeys assessments that are used for measuring, communicating and improving the common real-world skills required for success in the workplace. The assessment testing focuses on three skills: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information.

The first comprehensive sites were developed with the MCWIB and Office for Employment Training (OET) with locations placed at the One-Stop Centers in Salinas and Seaside. More than 600 Monterey County residents successfully completed a variety of WorkKeys assessments and received a certificate of completion.

“Using WorkKeys helps us (MST) to evaluate prospectiveemployees to accurately gauge their expertise and qualifications with an easy to use scoring system.” -Hunter Harvath, MCWIB member and Deputy General

Manager for Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST).

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Connectivity ForumFrom October 2009 to June 2010 the MCWIB hosted eight Connectiv-ity Forums in collaboration with Community Human Services and OET. The MCWIB’s goal in hosting these forums was to bring county-wide organizations together for networking and to learn about resources avail-able throughout the county for organizations to connect their clients with services available to support self sufficiency. Topics for the forums include entrepreneurship, adult and youth training opportunities, re-entry services, food and housing resources.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Connectivity Forums. I was able to network with other

professionals and learn about relevant services in the commu-nity. The topics were well organized and the facilitators did

an excellent job of keeping participants engaged. I hope they continue to be offered!”

-Erika Schoendorfer, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Coordinator

Microsoft Elevate America ProgramElevate America is a national program in which Microsoft Corporation partnered with the State to distribute training vouchers to local WIB’s to provide citizens, at no additional cost, access to Microsoft E-Learn-ing courses and selected Microsoft Certification exams. A total of 1,565 vouchers were distributed through the Monterey County One-Stop Career Center.

“I thought the program was very helpful for people in situations like myself; I hope in the end I can have a positive result to report back to you guys in the near

future- thank you.” – Scott Z

Re-Entry Employment ProgramIn April 2010, OET implemented the KickStart re-entry employment program that provides needed job search preparation skills and instruc-tion to individuals who are serious about re-entering the workforce after being released from incarceration. After completing the program, partici-pants will be prepared to integrate into OET’s standard participant pool to access other services such as WorkKeys assessments and job profiling, classroom training, OJTs and internships. Participants receive a certifi-cate of completion listing the skills attained.

The regional opportunities for workforce development in the Central Coast’s healthcare industry are strong, in a regional labor market that has seen few growth industries over the last 24 months. Overall growth in the healthcare industry has remained positive, with even more opportu-nities becoming available due to expected retirements.

Investing in Our Veterans’ FuturePartnering in regional strategies around Monterey County and the Central Coast, we are assisting in directing resources to recently separated and veterans for re-entry into the workforce. A work group consisting of OET, Behavioral Health, the Mental Health Commission and Military and Veteran’s Affairs started meeting in 2008 with the goal of getting the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs to establish a collaborative effort to pro-vide “local services” to returning veterans and their families. Since then, numerous meetings and events have taken place at the One-Stop Career Center and different partner sites throughout the county.

JobLinkThe Monterey County One-Stop Career Center regularly hosts network-ing sessions and presentations, given by a variety of public and private employers, for job seekers to learn “first hand” from local employers about career opportunities. Durring 2009-2010, a number of featured employers included Chase, Bernardus Lodge, Monterey Salinas Transit (MST), Pebble Beach Company, Target, Wells Fargo and numerous law enforcement agencies.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)The MCWIB supported the free tax preparation programs for low income individuals, families and seniors. Income tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the new Making Work Pay credit were con-tributors to economic self-sufficiency. VITA sites were at the Salinas and 16

Seaside One-Stop Career Centers, the Center for Employment Training, and the City of Salinas and Monterey County Libraries. Tax counseling for the Elderly (TCE) provided free tax prep for seniors that are operated by our One-Stop Partner, Alliance on Aging.

Monterey-Santa Cruz Regional Collaboration Members of the Monterey and Santa Cruz County WIB’s frequently met to discuss opportunities for regional collaboration to better meet the needs of local job-seekers, employers, and industry clusters. Discussion top-ics included the benefits of regional collaboration, existing cross-county initiatives, and similarities and differences in One-Stop Career system organizations and Career Center operations. Attendees agreed that re-gional collaboration is needed and that a workgroup, comprised of Board members and staff, should meet on a regular basis to ensure strategic col-laboration.

Green Jobs, Growing JobsInterest in green jobs has risen dramatically and is considered a critical strategy to address many of today’s most important challenges including stimulating the economy, getting people back to work, providing path-ways out of poverty for disadvantaged populations and providing energy independence while preserving and protecting the environment.

In Monterey County and on the Central Coast, the emergence of green jobs is leading to a number of innovative programs and collaborations. For example, Hartnell College’s Center for Sustainable Construction, six-month program, provides students with 300 hours of classroom training that earns them college credits. The training includes green site manage-ment, introduction to green construction, grey water systems, green con-struction and energy efficiency assessments. With the final stage of the program under way, 62 students are currently working alongside industry professionals assessing local buildings throughout Salinas, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City and Watsonville.

Investing in Our Veterans’ FuturePartnering in regional strategies around Monterey County and the Cen-tral Coast, we are assisting in directing resources to recently separated and veterans for re-entry into the workforce. A work group consisting of OET, Behavioral Health, the Mental Health Commission and Military and 17

Veteran’s Affairs started meeting in 2008 with the goal of getting the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs to establish a collaborative effort to pro-vide “local services” to returning veterans and their families. Since then, numerous meetings and events have taken place at the One-Stop Career Center and different partner sites throughout the county.

Healthcare Strategies, Prescription for SuccessDespite rising unemployment in the County, the healthcare industry con-tinues to expand and hire. While working with BW Research, a consul-tant group retained by the Workforce Collaborative of California’s Central Coast, a six county regional collaborative, through grant monies from the California Endowment, the MCWIB’s Healthcare Advisory Roundtable (HART), a group of healthcare stakeholders, educators and industry lead-ers, convened locally to address the allied health workforce needs and the educational gaps.

“The study completed by the consultant provided valuable information to assess the current and future needs of the healthcare industry, in the broader region that covers the Central Coast. It gave us a ‘blue print’ of educational and

training models that can be addressed collaboratively among the four counties in the Workforce Collaborative.”

- Joanne Webster, MCWIB member and Director of Human Resources at CHOMP

While the total number of new healthcare jobs in the region is consid-erably stronger than the number of new jobs in the region in all other industries, new job growth provides only a fraction of the total opportu-nities in healthcare and with allied health occupations.

The regional opportunities for workforce development in the Central Coast’s healthcare industry are strong, in a regional labor market that has seen few growth industries over the last 24 months. Overall, growth is expected in the healthcare industry, with future opportunities becoming available due to expected retirements.

Community and Regional Partnerships and Projects ContinuedCommunity and Regional Partnerships and Projects

Monterey CountyWorkforce Investment Board Office

Salinas One-Stop Career Center(in the Salinas Airport Business Park)730 La Guardia StreetSalinas, CA 93905(831) 796-3313Loyanne Flinn, Acting Executive [email protected] our Website at www.montereycountywib.org

One-Stop Career Center Locations

SALINAS ONE-STOPSalinas Airport Business Park730 La Guardia StreetSalinas, CA 93905(831) 796-3600

SEASIDE ONE-STOPUniversity Plaza Shopping Center1760 Fremont Blvd, Ste. D-2Seaside, CA 93955(831) 899-8236www.OneStopMonterey.org

KING CITY ONE-STOPTowne Square Shopping Center200 Broadway Street, Ste. 62King City, CA 93930(831) 386-6801

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Focus On Recovery, Focus On Results Results Of Recovery