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good for understanding broad trends, but not detailed ones. For example, as we <br />prepared the plan we learned that an important emerging regional trend is <br />biotechnology industries. Those are important for Santa Ana in that they generate a <br />number of secondary and support jobs but the trend is not congruent with the general <br />educational level of the labor population per -se. <br />• Distribution of Services. Like economic trends, many services offered to the current <br />and potential labor force are regional. For example, Santa Ana is relatively weak in <br />higher level vocational and job /educational improvement resources, such as colleges <br />and universities, despite one excellent community college resource. However, nearby <br />communities feature a major California University (Irvine), and significant California <br />State University (Fullerton), and numerous other similarly placed institutions. Neither of <br />the institutions named above are within the contiguous communities, but all are both <br />available and well used by Santa Ana populations. At the same time, Santa Ana's Digital <br />Media Center is a business incubator, headed by a former Santa Ana Workforce <br />Development expert, that draws on the entire region (and beyond) for its clientele. <br />What can be said of educational support institutions also can be said of other forms of <br />social and educational and job development /improvement institutions. Most are not <br />limited to local populations but seek to serve broader populations that may cover a <br />much larger area than a specific local. <br />A Note on Data Sources <br />Wherever possible this plan relies on primary data provided by BLS, EDD, Census, California <br />Department of Labor, and the California Department of Finance. Some of the Census data is a <br />projection based on principles that are uniform for the nation. The same is true for data on <br />regional trends beyond cluster information provided by EDA. <br />In addition, we have relied on several sources of compiled information, vetted by the State or <br />EDA. The Orange County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is one key <br />source. Another rich source of information is monographic studies and reports by California <br />State Fullerton, which touch on particular subject matter related to economic and labor force <br />information. Other broader regional studies are from EDA, the LAEDC, and other national <br />sources regarding green /Cleantech development and other related topics. <br />In order to keep the narrative fluid and emphasize the interpretation of data rather than the <br />data itself, we tend to mention sources, often in abbreviation, rather than cite them in detail. <br />The exception is when the source is not one of those mentioned above. <br />Next: Vision, Analysis, Metrics, and Strategies <br />The next chapter opens with a statement of Santa Ana's vision for the next five years, followed <br />by an analysis of its present workforce and future work -force needs. We then outline the key <br />strategies for developing the tools to help the future workforce, derive concrete goals to serve <br />those strategies, and metrics for assessing progress toward those goals. <br />8 <br />19F -12 <br />