Opinion
A Skilled Workforce Supports a Vision 2 Succeed

A Skilled Workforce Supports a Vision 2 Succeed
By San Bernardino County Deputy Executive Officer, Reg Javier
San Bernardino County, July 17, 2019 — Earlier this year, the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board released its Labor Market Intelligence, Workforce Roadmap report (https://www.selectsbcounty.com/blog) citing that the County of San Bernardino remains one of the fastest growing economies in California in terms of overall job growth. Moreover, among California’s ten largest counties, San Bernardino County was the second-fastest growing. In fact, the County added more than 130,000 jobs since 2010.
That’s impressive. However, it is important for our County leadership to look at that data through the broader perspective of what it means to the future of the region, as well as how our County can best support the ongoing success of the businesses that choose to invest here as well as the residents that call San Bernardino County home.
While growth is good it can also strain vital resources – the greatest being the ongoing availability and development of a skilled workforce to move business and the economy forward.
The Workforce Roadmap noted this trend as the reason that the County’s economy is expected to grow at a slower rate over the near term as compared to previous years. The report shared that job creation has outpaced the County’s labor force growth every year since 2012, supporting the fact that job growth going forward will be bound by our supply of labor. This lack of labor is a similar challenge for most of the country as unemployment rates remain historically low.
While some slowdown may be inevitable, the data from the Workforce Roadmap is designed to help provide insight into where the County and its partners should invest time and tools to best alleviate workforce shortages as well as how best to target those industries with greatest growth potential.
In the Workforce Roadmap report, manufacturing, healthcare and logistics were cited as the leading growth industries for the County. Since 2010 manufacturing employment in the County has outpaced not just the state but also the entire nation. The County’s healthcare sector is expected to make the largest contribution to job gains in the region over the period of 2018 to 2028. Finally, since mid-2009, the logistics sector has nearly doubled in size in San Bernardino County.
Fully maximizing that business potential, as well as encouraging growth in all industry sectors, requires an ecosystem in which stakeholders work side by side to develop and train a workforce prepared for career opportunities, particularly in these high-growth industries.
San Bernardino County is uniquely positioned to help its residents receive the skills they need to prosper in the 21st century economy. This year the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors endorsed the Vision2Succeed campaign (http://vision2succeed.org/) to encourage residents and businesses to get involved in learning experiences and programs that help to propel career growth and lifelong learning. Across the County there is a strong system of schools, colleges and universities as well as training and job resource centers that benefit residents and employers.
To that end, the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (WDB)(http://wp.sbcounty.gov/workforce/) is a great resource for employers and job seekers in the County. This body of professionals supervises the allocation of federal funding targeted to strengthen the skills of the County’s local workforce. WDB is led by local business owners and includes public partners, educators, labor leadership and community-based organizations. Businesses can benefit from free and low costs programs such as a free human resources hotline, customized training programs and on-the-job training funds, among many others offered through the WDB’s Business Services team.
While these programs are focused on business today, it is WDB’s commitment to plan for the future that is becoming increasingly important and where local business owners can play the most significant role.
Long term County growth resides in the potential of its youth. The WDB and partners recently established GenerationGo! Career Pathways (http://wp.sbcounty.gov/workforce/career-pathways/), a countywide program providing work-based learning opportunities to high school students. This proactive program brings education and business together to ensure that the County’s youth are ready to enter the workforce with the skills needed to compete.
A great example of the application is a partnership with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. GenerationGo! was piloted at Cajon High School in the city of San Bernardino, with students completing 120 hours of clinical practice at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. The students were introduced to a variety of career opportunities in the medical field while further propelling them along a valuable career path for college or technical training. The high school seniors were then able to take a state test to gain medical assistant certificates that made them eligible for entry-level work in medical offices and hospitals.
This successful business and education partnership is just one example of how the County is preparing students for a designated high-growth sector and helping them on a pathway to further their training and college and career options. More importantly it is a direct solution to developing the next generation workforce that will help propel the County’s economy forward. When businesses are involved in internships and apprenticeships they are developing their own future workforce and creating certainty in their long-term growth.
To understand the value to the business owner, consider the comments by Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Hospital Director William Gilbert who shared that, “When people think of healthcare careers they often think of nurses and doctors, but this pilot program exposes high school students to the array of career options in medicine. These are good paying jobs with significant upward mobility. It’s rewarding for us to be part of this program to not only educate, but to also help to retain our County’s best and brightest young people.”
The ongoing success of Generation Go! is dependent on business engagement. The County is currently seeking businesses that are willing to provide work-based learning experiences, through internships, as part of a high school curriculum. Interested businesses should email GenGo@wdd.sbcounty.gov for more information.
San Bernardino County has a Vision 2 Succeed. It is an exciting and forward-looking view of success that allows this region to retain its role as a jobs and population growth leader now and for the long term and provide a solid career pathway for youth while giving business a foundation for growth.
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Career & Workplace
California’s Population Decline Continues to Hammer Labor Supply

State’s Workforce Contracts Again In Latest Numbers; Unemployment Rate Ticks Up
California’s labor market grew modestly in the latest numbers. Total nonfarm employment in the state expanded by 8,700 positions in September, according to an analysis released today by Beacon Economics. August’s gains were also revised down to 8,900, a 19,000 decrease from the preliminary estimate of 27,900.
As of September 2023, California has recovered all of the jobs that were lost in March and April 2020 (the beginning of the pandemic), and there are now 436,400 more people employed in the state compared to pre-pandemic February 2020. Since that time, total nonfarm employment in California has grown 2.5% compared to a 3.0% increase nationally. On an annual basis, California increased payrolls by 1.7% from September 2022 to September 2023, trailing the 2.1% increase at the national level over the same period.
California’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.7% in the latest numbers, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month. The state’s unemployment rate remains elevated relative to the 3.8% rate in the United States overall. Moreover, California continues to struggle with its labor supply, which fell by 17,700 in September, a decrease of 0.1% on a month-over-month basis. Since February 2020, the state’s labor force has contracted by 216,300 workers, a 1.1% decline.
“Census figures released this week reveal the extent to which households continue to leave California,” said Taner Osman, Research Manager at Beacon Economics. “The state’s population has fallen by half a million people over the past three years and this is filtering through to the economy, where the labor force has shrunk and employers are struggling to find workers.”
Industry Profile
- At the industry level, job gains were mixed in the latest numbers. The Health Care sector led the way with payrolls expanding by 18,200, an increase of 0.7% on a month-over-month basis. With these gains, Health Care payrolls are now 9.6% above their pre-pandemic peak.
- Leisure and Hospitality was the next best-performing sector, adding 11,300 jobs, a month-over-month increase of 0.5%. With these gains Leisure and Hospitality payrolls are now 0.4%, or 8,500 jobs, above their pre-pandemic peak.
- Other sectors posting strong gains during the month were Retail Trade (3,100 or 0.2%), Construction (2,200 or 0.2%), Real Estate (600 or 0.2%), and Management (500 or 0.2%).
- Payrolls decreased in a handful of sectors in September. Information experienced the largest declines, with payrolls falling by 7,300, a contraction of 1.3% on a month-over-month basis. However, this decline was driven by the strikes in the Motion Picture and Sound Recording sub-sector, which has shed 30,800 positions over the last year, a 18.2% decline.
- Other sectors posting declines during the month were Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (-5,900 or -0.4%), Administrative Support (-5,500 or -0.5%), Manufacturing (-4,600 or -0.3%), Finance and Insurance (-2,200 or -0.4%), Other Services (-1,100 or -0.2%), and Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (-500 or -0.1%).
Regional Profile
- Regionally, job gains were led by Southern California in September. Los Angeles (MD) experienced the largest increase, with payrolls growing by 8,700 (0.2%) during the month. The Inland Empire (5,900 or 0.4%), Orange County (5,400 or 0.3%), San Diego (1,400 or 0.1%), and Ventura (800 or 0.3%) also enjoyed job gains. Over the past year, Orange County (2.1%) has seen the fastest job growth in the region, followed by Los Angeles (MD) (2.0%), El Centro (1.8%), Ventura (1.7%), San Diego (1.5%), and the Inland Empire (0.7%).
- In the San Francisco Bay Area, growth was mixed. San Rafael (MD) (1,000 or 0.9%) and Santa Rosa (1,00 or 0.5%) enjoyed the largest increase during the month. Vallejo (600 or 0.4%) also saw payrolls expand. On the other hand, San Francisco (MD) (-4,100 or -0.3%), San Jose (-1,800 or -0.2%), the East Bay (-1,600 or -0.1%), and Napa (-300 or -0.4%) all experienced payroll declines during the month. Over the past 12 months, Santa Rosa (3.4%) has had the fastest job growth in the region, followed by San Rafael (MD) (3.0%), the East Bay (2.0%), Vallejo (1.9%), San Francisco (MD) (1.4%), San Jose (1.3%), and Napa (0.5%).
- In the Central Valley, Sacramento experienced the largest monthly job gains with payrolls expanding by 2,200 (0.2%) positions in September. Payrolls in Bakersfield (700 or 0.2%), Modesto (700 or 0.4%), Redding (500 or 0.7%), Visalia (400 or 0.3%), Stockton (200 or 0.1%), and Chico (100 or 0.1%) also jumped during the month. On the other hand, Madera (-300 or -0.7%) and Merced (-100 or -0.1%) had payrolls decline. Over the past year, Yuba (2.6%) has enjoyed the fastest growth, followed by Hanford (2.4%), Fresno (2.3%), Sacramento (2.1%), Visalia (1.4%), Chico (1.3%), Bakersfield (1.0%), Madera (0.7%), Stockton (0.7%), Modesto (0.2%), Redding (0.0%), and Merced (-3.6%).
- On California’s Central Coast, Santa Barbara (400 or 0.2%) added the largest number of jobs in September. Salinas (300 or 0.2%) and Santa Cruz (100 or 0.1%) also saw payrolls increase during the month. On the other hand, payrolls in San Luis Obispo declined (-300 or -0.2%). From September 2022 to September 2023, Salinas (4.2%) added jobs at the fastest rate, followed by San Luis Obispo (3.1%), Santa Barbara (2.9%), and Santa Cruz (1.7%).
Bizz Buzz
Colton Resident Receives Free College Tuition and Books Through Walmart’s Education Program

By Saul Martinez, Contributing Writer for IEBJ
#bizzbuzz
This year marks the five-year anniversary of Walmart’s Live Better U (LBU) education program. Over the past five years, the company has saved associates across the country nearly half a billion in education costs, reflecting the company’s commitment to creating a path for everyone to learn and grow. In California, we’ve seen 5,620 Walmart and Sam’s Club associates participate in Live Better U over the past five years.
One such success story is Robert Gay, who lives in Colton, CA, and earned his college degree – fully paid for by Walmart. Robert was stuck in a stagnant position at his previous company, hindered by the absence of a degree that prevented him from advancing further. However, upon discovering the Live Better U benefits offered by Walmart, he decided to take a leap of faith and join their team with the intention of completing his degree. After successfully graduating with a bachelor’s degree in October 2020, he now takes immense pride in his accomplishment of accepting a promotion to associate general manager. Throughout his journey, Robert received overwhelming support from his local team, who not only empathized with his workload challenges but also aided when needed.
Most individuals typically encounter Walmart through its retail outlets. The Inland Empire Business Journal had the opportunity to explore a consolidation center of Walmart situated in Colton, California. Our visit left us deeply impressed by the remarkable cleanliness and impeccable condition of the facility, almost reminiscent of a high-end showroom.
While on the tour, we observed the diligent measures taken by the leadership to maintain employee motivation and awareness regarding the daily, weekly, and monthly performance Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the facility. These KPIs were prominently displayed on digital monitors throughout the premises. The Colton leadership created a mascot and call their team the Colton Eagles.
We found ourselves deeply impressed by this aspect of Walmart, which is often hidden from public view. Walmart unquestionably stands out as a company that not only offers excellent career opportunities but also boasts a remarkable 100% tuition reimbursement program. If you are seeking a career in the Inland Empire, this proves to be an exceptional workplace choice.
Whether someone is chasing their first job or the opportunity that will define their career, Walmart is committed to creating pathways of opportunity for everyone.
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