HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 24 - Regional and Unified Local Workforce Plan for PY 2021-24 Community Development Agency
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Item # 24
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
April 6, 2021
TOPIC: Regional and Unified Local Workforce Plan for PY 2021-24.
AGENDA TITLE:
Approve the Regional and Unified Local Workforce Plan for Program Years 2021-2024
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve the Regional and Unified Local Plan for Program Year 2021-2024 and
authorize staff to submit to the California Workforce Development Board and State of
California Employment Development Department.
2. Authorize the Mayor to sign all documents necessary for the submission of the
Regional and Unified Local Plan for Program Year 2021-2024.
3. Authorize staff to make non-substantive changes to the Regional and Unified Local
Plan in response to public comments received or as requested by the California
Workforce Development Board and the State of California Employment Development
Department.
DISCUSSION
At its regularly scheduled meeting on March 18, 2021, the Workforce Development Board,
voted 14:0 (Elliott, Knitter, Korthuis, Perez absent) to forward the recommendation to City
Council to approve the Regional and Unified Local Plan for Program Years 2021-24.
The California Unified Strategic Workforce Development Plan (State Plan) is an
overarching state policy document that provides a conceptual outline for Local Workforce
Boards and their partners as they jointly develop Regional and Local Plans. The State
Plan policy objectives, developed in collaboration with Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners and Local Boards, drive towards the shared vision of
creating a comprehensive system that impacts poverty, promotes income mobility, and
embeds equity as a cornerstone of service-delivery.
As outlined under WIOA Section 106, Regional Plans provide a roadmap for alignment of
resources and investments to meet specific outcomes within the 15 Regional Planning
Regional and Unified Local Workforce Plan for PY 2021-24.
April 6, 2021
Page 2
6
2
3
Units (RPU). Regional Plans are used to articulate how RPUs will build intentionality
around industry sector engagement, drive workforce development outcomes across
multiple jurisdictions, and expand on-ramps to career pathways for individuals who
experience barriers to employment.
As outlined in WIOA Section 108, Local Plans provide an action plan for operationalizing
the roadmap laid out in the Regional Plan by describing how individuals access services
through the America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) system. Local Plans are used to
articulate how Local Boards will coordinate with local partners to ensure person-centered
service-delivery.
In alignment with the State Plan, the draft Regional and Unified Local Plans (Exhibit 1)
focus on the development of partnerships to create a coordinated service delivery
approach to targeted populations, including individuals with barriers to employment and
hard to serve populations. In order to develop a Regional Plan that represents all the
moving parts involved in the workforce system, the Directors and staff from the Anaheim,
Orange County and Santa Ana Workforce Boards (Orange Region Planning Unit - ORPU)
proactively engaged leadership of key partners identified in the Regional Plan through a
series of community stakeholder engagement sessions held in January 2021 collectively
approaching leaders and decision makers as one workforce system. For this reason, the
ORPU also collaborated on the preparation of a Local Plan to develop a Unified Local
Plan.
The Regional and Unified Local Plan was available for a 30-day public review and
comment period that closed on April 2, 2021. If the plans receive comments that require
substantial edits, staff will bring them to the City Council’s attention. Otherwise, the
Regional and Unified Local Plan will be submitted to the State by the April 30, 2021
deadline.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Regional and Unified Local Plan PY 2021-24
Submitted By: Steven Mendoza, Assistant City Manager
Approved By: Kristine Ridge, City Manager
2021 - 2024
Regional Plan
ORANGE REGIONAL
PLANNING UNIT
Orange County Workforce Development Board
Carma Lacy, 714-480-6420, carma.lacy@occr.ocgov.com
Santa Ana Workforce Development Board
Deborah Sanchez, 714-565-2621, DSanchez@santa-ana.org
Anaheim Workforce Development Board
Marco Lucero, (714) 765-4341, MLucero@anaheim.net
EXHIBIT 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Regional Plan Content ................................................................................................................................... 1
2A. Analytical Overview of the Region ...................................................................................................... 1
2B. Fostering Demand-Driven Skills Attainment ..................................................................................... 13
2C. Enabling Upward Mobility for All Californians .................................................................................. 17
2D. Aligning, Coordinating, and Integrating Programs and Services ..................................................... 21
Appendices: ................................................................................................................................................. 23
3A. Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary ....................................................................... 23
3B. Public comments received that disagree with the Regional Plan .................................................... 24
3C. Signature Page ................................................................................................................................. 25
EXHIBIT 1
REGIONAL PLAN CONTENT
2A. ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW OF THE REGION
The Orange Regional Planning Unit (RPU) is comprised of three local Workforce Development
Boards (WDBs) serving 34 cities and several large unincorporated areas in Orange County (OC).
The RPU includes the Anaheim Workforce Development Board, which serves the City of Anaheim,
the Santa Ana Workforce Development Board, which serves the City of Santa Ana, and the Orange
County Workforce Development Board, which serves the remaining 32 cities and unincorporated
areas of Orange County. Orange County is the third-most populous county in California
(3,193,929 people)1 and the sixth-most populous in the nation. The region’s population has
increased by 1.4% since 2015, growing by 44,649 people.
Orange County had experienced several years of job growth and economic vitality, resulting in
record-low unemployment rates before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has since
derailed this long streak of growth and the long-term social
and economic impacts remain to be seen. Orange County’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased annually since
2009 to 269.2 billion in 2019.2 Orange County’s economy
ranked 3rd in California and 8th nationally in 2018 based on
its GDP. Orange County has employed 1,598,700 in
nonfarm jobs as of December 2020. The median household
income was $85,400 in 2018, $25,100 above the national
average.3
Orange County is experiencing demographic shifts that have economic and workforce
implications. Over the next several decades, Orange County’s senior population will increase
significantly while working-age populations
fall. According to the California Department
of Finance (DOF), estimates show seniors 65-
74 will increase by 17.75%, 74-84 group by
65.7%, and 85 or older will increase by
268.7%. The population change will likely
require increased employment in health care
and other senior service occupations.
Simultaneously, the shrinking working-age
population could impact economic
prosperity and cause more challenges for
employers filling open positions.
1 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
2 “GDP: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).” GDP | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), www.bea.gov/data/gdp.
3 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
Year GDP
2015 $ 225,178,787.00
2016 $ 234,053,392.00
2017 $ 247,314,645.00
2018 $ 256,981,877.00
2019 $ 269,229,776.00
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
0-4
5-19
20-64
65-74
74-84
85+
Orange County Projected Population Change
between 2020-20604
Source: California Department of Finance, Demographic
EXHIBIT 1
Ethnic diversity in Orange County is high. The national
average for an area the size of Orange County is 1,266,735
racially diverse people, while there are 1,910,690 in OC.4
Orange County’s diversity is projected to continue to grow
through 2060. Whites (39%) and Hispanics 5 (34%) make up
the largest percentage of the Orange County population, with
the Hispanic population growth between 2015 and 2020 at
19%, while the white population declined by 4%.6 Growing
diversity will increasingly be a key workforce and economic
development advantage for Orange County. Diversity often creates an environment where the
exchange of ideas, strategies, and viewpoints fuel innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing
to sustained economic success. Racial diversity challenges local education providers and
workforce development to support English learners’ success by improving program support and
creating innovative programs such as vocational ESL programs. Non-English language speakers
represent 45.5% of Orange County residents, which is higher than the national average of 21.9%.
In 2018, Spanish was the most common non-English language spoken, with 24.8% of Orange
County residents being native Spanish speakers. Vietnamese (6.44%) and Chinese (2.94%) are the
second and third most common languages.7
Industry employment which includes self-employment, private household workers, farm and
nonfarm jobs in Orange County, is projected to reach 1,853,600 by 2026, a 9.3% increase over
the ten-year projection period of 2016 to 2026. Twelve of the 13 nonfarm industry sectors are
projected to grow during this period.
Total nonfarm jobs are projected to gain 145,000 jobs by 2026. Significant job growth is projected
in four industry sectors with educational, health services, and social assistance, leading to
4EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
5 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com, Hispanic population includes all races that identify as Hispanic.
6 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
7 Bureau, US Census. “American Community Survey Data Releases.” The United States Census Bureau, 31 July 2020, www.census.gov/programs-
surveys/acs/news/data-releases.2018.html.
1,000
2,800
2,900
3,700
4,100
5,100
5,700
6,700
19,000
27,400
28,200
38,400
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Information
Other Services
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities
Retail Trade
Financial Activities
Government
Construction
Leisure and Hospitality
Professional and Business Services
Educational Services (Private), Health Care, and Social…
Growth by Industry Sector
Source: EDD Labor Market Information
39%
34%
22%
2%3%
Racial/Ethnic Breakdown 2020
White
Hispanic
Asian
Black
Other
Source:EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021
EXHIBIT 1
expected gains of 38,400 jobs, with 17,300 projected to be in ambulatory health care services.
Professional and business services is projected to add 28,200. Leisure and hospitality is projected
to grow by 12.9%, adding 27,400 jobs. Construction is projected to add 19,000 with 13,700 of the
jobs in the specialty trades subsector.8
The top five fastest-growing industry sectors are construction (19.5%), health care and social
assistance (18.9%), leisure and hospitality (12.9%), information (11%), and professional and
business services (9.5%). 9
The industry sectors that added the most jobs between 2017 and 2020 are represented in the
chart below.
NAICS Description 2017 Jobs 2020 Jobs 2017 - 2020
Change
62 Health Care and Social Assistance 196,290 209,045 12,755
56 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and
Remediation Services 153,583 162,612 9,029
54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 151,234 156,909 5,674
55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 33,320 37,935 4,616
23 Construction 121,891 125,428 3,537
Source: EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021
Orange County is a thriving hub for medical device companies and cutting-edge industry sectors,
including life sciences, information technology, digital arts and media, and advanced
manufacturing. It is also known for its growing ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Many Southern California startups work on virtual and augmented reality, cybersecurity,
biomedical science, bioengineering, medical imaging, medical device, and environmental health
technologies. Over the next several years, Orange County is poised to be at the center of
emergent industries based on educational and intellectual assets in the region. The county’s most
robust traded clusters with a high employment specialization in the area are medical device
manufacturing (US Ranking 1), lighting and electrical equipment manufacturing (US Ranking 2),
apparel manufacturing (US Ranking 3), information technology and analytical instruments
manufacturing (US Ranking 5), and financial services (US Ranking 6).10
2A i. Provide an analysis of current employment and unemployment data.
Orange County had a positive economic outlook before the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January of 2020, Orange County had an unemployment rate of 2.9%, the lowest in Southern
California. In the preceding 12 months, the county’s unemployment rate had not exceeded 3.1%.
Before California’s first statewide stay-at-home order issued in March, closing all nonessential
businesses and restaurant dining, the unemployment rate stood at 2.8% in February of 2020. The
economic disruption from COVID-19 resulted in steep job losses, with the unemployment rate
quadrupling at its peak of 14.7% in May 2020, the highest unemployment rate ever recorded for
8 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov
9 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov
10 “U.S. Cluster Mapping: Mapping a Nation of Regional Clusters.” U.S. Cluster Mapping | Mapping a Nation of Regional Clusters,
www.clustermapping.us/.
EXHIBIT 1
Orange County. The rates slowly declined to 6.4% in November 2020 before ascending to 7.4%
in December 2020 when regional stay-at-home orders went back into effect. This rate compares
with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 8.8 percent for California and 6.5 percent for the
nation during the same period.11
Concentrated job loss in hospitality and tourism stung more sharply in the Orange County region
due to its economic dependence on tourism. In 2019, a record 50.2 million travelers visited
Orange County, spending $13.0 billion 12, however with the continued closure of major tourism
sites, especially Disneyland Park, the leisure and hospitality industry and surrounding cities
remain heavily impacted. The percent of unemployment by industry sector shows a grim picture
for industries that rely heavily on tourism. As of November 2020, retail trade had the highest
unemployment numbers at 16,063, and accommodation and food services had 10,815
unemployed. Other industries with high numbers of unemployment include Health Care and
Social Assistance (11,628), Manufacturing (11,215), Construction (9,371). 13
11 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/lmi-by-subjects.html.
12 Orange County Visitors Association, 2019, Orange County Visitors Association 2019-2021 Destination Marketing Plan,
www.travelcostamesa.com/visittheoc/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Marketing.pdf.
13 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
EXHIBIT 1
The pandemic-induced recession caused a loss of 267,600 nonfarm jobs between February and
April in Orange County. The employment loss between March and April of 2020 alone was
225,800, the largest ever recorded in a single month. All industry sectors experienced declines
between February and April, but leisure and hospitality (down 102,800) accounted for 38 percent
of the total nonfarm job loss during this period 14. Most of the decline was between March and
April, with a loss of 90,300 jobs. Seventy-seven percent of the drop occurred in accommodation
and food services (down 70,300 jobs), led by decreases in food services and drinking places (down
59,800 jobs). Other significant drops during this period include arts, entertainment, and
recreation, which fell by 20,000 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities decreased by 31,400
jobs, with retail trade accounting for 66 percent of the decline (down 20,800 jobs). Wholesale
trade dropped by 8,800 jobs, and transportation, warehousing and utilities decreased by 1,800
14 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/lmi-by-subjects.html.
0%
1%
5%
11%
5%
11%
5%
10%
0%
3%
1%
2%
4%
2%
16%
3%
11%
9%
0%
0%
0%
0%
2%
4%
14%
2%
13%
4%
10%
1%
4%
2%
2%
2%
5%
12%
4%
10%
8%
0%
1%
1%
0%5%10%15%
No Previous Work Experience/Unspecified
Government
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Accommodation and Food Services
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Health Care and Social Assistance
Educational Services
Administrative and Support and Waste…
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Finance and Insurance
Information
Transportation and Warehousing
Retail Trade
Wholesale Trade
Manufacturing
Construction
Utilities
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Percent of Unemployment by Industry Sector
November 2020
% of National Unemployment % of Regional Unemployment
Source: EMSI Labor Market Analysis, 2021
EXHIBIT 1
jobs. Professional and business services declined by 29,200 jobs. Administrative and support
services, which includes temporary help firms, dropped by 18,900 jobs.15
Pandemic Job-Related Losses 16
Industry Feb-20 Mar-20 Apr-20 Dec-20
Feb to
Apr
%
change
April to
December
% of
losses
recovered
Shortfall
as of
December
Total Nonfarm 1,677,800 1,636,000 1,410,200 1,553,000 -267,600 15.9% 142,800 53.4% 124,800
Construction 105,400 100,600 96,800 107,900 -8,600 8% 11,100 129% -2,500
Manufacturing 158,700 157,500 143,200 145,300 -15,500 9.8% 2,100 13.5% 13,400
Transportation &
Warehousing 26,700 26,300 24,300 29,600 -2,400 9.0% 5,300 220.8% -2,900
Professional &
Business Services 326,300 313,300 288,400 318,400 -37,900 12% 30,000 79% 7,900
Educational Services 34,500 34,400 31,100 27,600 -3,400 9.9% -3,500 -102.9% 6,900
Health Care & Social
Assistance 200,600 198,800 172,600 196,400 -28,000 14.0% 23,800 85.0% 4,200
Leisure & Hospitality 227,500 215,000 124,700 168,700 -102,800 45.2% 44,000 42.8% 58,800
Other Services 50,800 44,400 33,000 41,100 -17,800 35.0% 8,100 45.5% 9,700
Government 168,700 170,500 162,000 156,100 -6,700 4.0% -5,900 -88.1% 12,600
As California moves toward
reopening, regional differences
will contribute to the pace of
recovery. The current depth of
job losses and Orange County’s
reliance on service sectors
means the region will have
more ground to make up. How
quickly businesses reopen and
rehire will depend on their
viability and how public health
risks evolve within the area.
For sectors and companies that
rely on in-person interaction,
the recovery pace is likely to be slower. As of December 2020, the county recovered 142,800
nonfarm jobs, which is equivalent to 53% of the job losses since the pandemic recession. Most
industries are experiencing incremental job gains monthly. Transportation and utilities and
construction jobs have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with the largest month-over increase, up
4,200 jobs. Wholesale trade gained 1,800 jobs, retail trade added 1,500 jobs, and transportation,
warehousing and utilities expanded by 900 jobs.17
15 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/geography/orange-county.html
16 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
17 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/lmi-by-subjects.html.
8,400
77,400 66,400 70,900
97,500
133,700
150,900 142,800
-
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20
Jobs Recovered between May and December 2020
Source: EDD Labor Market Information
EXHIBIT 1
According to Opportunity Insight’s
Economic Tracker, the drastic
difference between the low and
high quartiles shows that lower-
income bracket workers are
disproportionately affected by the
pandemic. In Orange County, as of
November 15, 2020, employment
rates among workers in the
bottom wage quartile (<$27K)
decreased by 25.4%, middle
quartile ($27K-$60K) decreased by
1.4%, and high quartile (>$60k)
increased 6.8% compared to
January 2020 18. Minority residents
mostly held these lower-paying
jobs and went into this economic crisis much more financially insecure and unstable.
2Aii. Provide an analysis of the current educational and skill levels of the
workforce, the current needs of employers in the region, and any relevant skill gaps
between the two.
Orange County is home to major universities such as the University of California, Irvine (UCI),
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and Chapman University. It has four community
college districts with nine community colleges. These community colleges educate approximately
310,000 students in credit and noncredit courses each year.
Orange County’s primary
competitive advantage is a
talent pool of highly educated,
qualified residents. In Orange
County, 48.8% of adults over the
age of 25 have an associate
degree or higher, while only
14.5% lack a high school
diploma. Orange County
residents who possess a
bachelor’s degree are 6.3%
above the national average, and
7.7% hold an associate degree,
which is 0.9% below the national
average.
18 “The Economic Tracker.” Economic Tracker, tracktherecovery.org/.
5%
0%
18%
1%
2%
46%
28%
Percent of workers in jobs paying $15.00 or less
Black or African
American
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian or
Other Pacific Islander
Two or More Races
Hispanic or Latino
WhiteSource: EMSI Labor Market Analysis, 2021
Less Than 9th
Grade, 7.8%9th Grade to
12th Grade,
6.7%
High School
Diploma, 17.1%
Some College,
19.6%
Associate's
Degree, 7.7%
Bachelor's
Degree, 26.3%
Graduate
Degree and
Higher, 14.8%
Orange County Educational Attainment
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics,
EXHIBIT 1
Education data covers the population aged 25 years or older, indicating the highest level of
education achieved. Inequitable access to postsecondary education is a persistent problem. One
way in which this manifests is
through widely varying
educational attainment across
race and ethnicity. California’s
Post-secondary to Prosperity
Dashboard shows only 16% of
Latinx residents hold a four-year
degree. The dashboard also
shows that most Latinx
residents have no college
experience (59%), greater than
all other groups.19
The most popular majors in
Orange County are Liberal Arts and Sciences (21,289 and 25%), Business Administration and
Management (8,251 and 10%), and General Psychology (8,251 and 3%).
Orange County Regional Institutions Program Completions 20
CIP Code Program
Completions
(2015)
Completions
(2016)
Completions
(2017)
Completions
(2018)
Completions
(2019)
24.0101
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal
Studies 9,762 10,444 11,289 11,990 21,289
52.0201
Business Administration and
Management, General 7,093 7,993 7,914 7,758 8,251
42.0101 Psychology, General 2,145 2,208 2,138 2,462 2,637
30.0101 Biological and Physical Sciences 1,045 1,210 1,134 1,440 1,918
51.3801
Registered Nursing/Registered
Nurse 1,366 1,523 1,731 1,655 1,844
9.0101
Speech Communication and
Rhetoric 1,325 1,401 1,541 1,524 1,601
45.1101 Sociology 1,041 1,025 1,141 1,286 1,281
11.0701 Computer Science 592 840 929 1,132 1,274
26.0101
Biology/Biological Sciences,
General 1,101 1,056 1,015 1,083 1,200
12.041
Nail Technician/Specialist and
Manicurist 865 1,195 1,230 870 1,163
Employer need in the Orange County region is based on job posting and employment data
analysis, and educational
programs’ completions. Per
the two-digit Standard
Occupational Classification
(SOC) code group, there are
twenty-four occupations
19 “P2P Regions.” California Competes, californiacompetes.org/p2p/regions?region=orange.
20 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
Hispanic Asian White Other Black
2015 Educational Attainment by Race/Ethnicity
Less Than High School High School Diploma College Degree
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021, Hispanic group contains all combined races
EXHIBIT 1
and 610 programs in the region of study that may train for these occupations. Of these programs,
there were 86,656 program participant completions in 2019 and 196,852 job openings that
needed to be filled.
Identified in the table below are the occupations with the highest projected skills gap for Orange
County between 2015 and 2025. This analysis indicates a continued need to identify strategies
to fulfill training needs in various high-gap occupational areas. The research includes data based
on the following:
• Occupations where the 2020 median income hourly wage is higher than $16.00 an hour
• Openings greater than 10 (openings represent replacement jobs and Bureau of Labor
Statistics(BLS) growth estimates)
• Entry-level education that was greater than a postsecondary nondegree award and equal
to or less than a bachelor’s degree
• Top 15 occupations with a skills gap greater than zero (skills gap is the difference between
the projected openings and completions)
• The Openings figure estimates the change in growth and replacement jobs (Growth +
Replacements = Openings). Growth captures the change in the total number of workers
employed in an occupation. At the same time, replacement jobs are estimates of workers
permanently leaving a career and needing to be replaced by new hires. A combination of
both numbers indicates total openings.
Skills Gap by Occupation 21
SOC Description 2020
Jobs
2025
Jobs
2020 -
2025
Change
2020 -
2025
Replace-
ment Jobs
2020 -
2025
Openings
Regional
Comple-
tions
(2019)
Skills
Gap
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Typical Entry
Level
Education
43-3031 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and
Auditing Clerks 20,984 20,603 (381) 11,058 13,243 676 12,567 $22.58 Some college,
no degree
25-9045 Teaching Assistants, Except
Postsecondary 11,752 12,207 455 5,678 7,391 45 7,346 $17.63 Some college,
no degree
53-3032 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck
Drivers 10,600 10,908 308 5,433 6,891 133 6,758 $22.92 Postsecondary
nondegree
31-1131 Nursing Assistants 9,546 10,594 1,049 5,118 7,441 1,178 6,263 $16.75 Postsecondary
nondegree
31-9092 Medical Assistants 8,628 9,548 920 4,476 6,496 2,156 4,340 $17.62
Postsecondary
nondegree
award
31-9011 Massage Therapists 4,714 5,489 775 2,556 4,013 1,097 2,916 $16.96 Postsecondary
nondegree
23-2011 Paralegals and Legal Assistants 4,308 4,662 354 2,143 3,009 174 2,835 $22.87 Associate
degree
49-3023 Automotive Service Technicians
and Mechanics 6,645 6,526 (119) 2,867 3,435 608 2,827 $21.99 Postsecondary
nondegree
31-9091 Dental Assistants 5,617 5,799 182 2,846 3,648 1,295 2,353 $19.39 Postsecondary
nondegree
43-4151 Order Clerks 3,576 3,337 (240) 1,826 2,211 41 2,170 $17.34 Some college,
no degree
49-9021
Heating, Air Conditioning, and
Refrigeration Mechanics and
Installers
3,944 4,182 238 1,727 2,354 262 2,092 $29.66 Postsecondary
nondegree
15-1232 Computer User Support
Specialists 7,826 8,244 418 2,690 3,724 1,647 2,077 $26.56 Some college,
no degree
29-2061 Licensed Practical and Licensed
Vocational Nurses 6,214 6,894 680 2,254 3,520 1,506 2,014 $28.94 Postsecondary
nondegree
21 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
EXHIBIT 1
SOC Description 2020
Jobs
2025
Jobs
2020 -
2025
Change
2020 -
2025
Replace-
ment Jobs
2020 -
2025
Openings
Regional
Comple-
tions
(2019)
Skills
Gap
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Typical Entry
Level
Education
49-2022
Telecommunications Equipment
Installers and Repairers, Except
Line Installers
2,327 2,099 (228) 1,119 1,331 0 1,331 $29.93 Postsecondary
nondegree
17-3023
Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Technologists and
Technicians
2,202 2,217 15 919 1,122 1 1,121 $30.84 Associate
degree
The top three hard skills requested by employers in job postings between January 2020 to
January 2021 were accounting, auditing, and customer relationship management. The following
charts show the top common hard skills and the top common skills in relation to the frequency
these skills appeared in job seeker profiles.
0%2%4%6%8%
New Product Development
Project Management
Customer Relationship Management
SQL (Programming Language)
Nursing
Restaurant Operation
Selling Techniques
Merchandising
Auditing
Accounting
Top Hard Skills
Frequency in Job Postings Frequency in Profiles
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%
Presentations
Microsoft Excel
Problem Solving
Detail Oriented
Operations
Leadership
Sales
Customer Service
Management
Communications
Top Common Skills
Frequency in Job Postings Frequency in Profiles
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
EXHIBIT 1
2Aiii. Provide an analysis of industries and occupations with an emerging demand.
The RPU analyzed location quotient, total jobs, and competitive effect data to identify industries
and occupations with an emerging demand. An analysis of location quotient data demonstrated
which occupations and industries are unique and specialized in the Orange County region
(compared to the national average). The competitive effect indicates how much of the job change
results from some unique competitive advantage in the area. The competitive effect measures
the job change that cannot be explained by national growth and industry mix. The change in
competitive effect points to regional-specific factors on the change in local employment
numbers. Factors such as labor force training and education, skills, transportation, supply chains,
aging demographics, and other regionally influenced factors may impact these industries and
occupations’ competitiveness.
Using the 3-digit NAICS code, the
emerging industries identified had a
location quotient that increased
between 2015 and 2020 and had a
location quotient less than 1.2. The
industry list was filtered to include
industries with a competitive effect
greater than 1, percent change in jobs
higher than 10%, and more than 1,000
jobs. The following chart consists of a list of the top thirteen emerging industries in Orange
County. This combined list of sectors accounted for 273,362 jobs in 2020. This group of
industries is projected to grow to 327,315 jobs by 2030.
Industries with Emerging Demand
NAICS Description 2015
Jobs
2020
Jobs
2015 -
2020
Change
2015 -
2020 %
Change
Competitive
Effect
2015
Location
Quotient
2020
Location
Quotient
%
Change
in LQ
485 Transit and Ground Passenger
Transportation 4,245 6,136 1,891 45% 1,209 0.64 0.79 14.56%
312 Beverage and Tobacco Product
Manufacturing 1,551 2,080 529 34% 125 0.62 0.65 3.04%
481 Air Transportation 827 1,091 264 32% 197 0.16 0.20 3.29%
624 Social Assistance 41,749 50,822 9,072 22% 3,690 0.96 1.02 6.02%
484 Truck Transportation 5,604 6,621 1,017 18% 841 0.30 0.34 3.92%
562 Waste Management and
Remediation Services 4,665 5,385 720 15% 158 1.02 1.04 1.58%
454 Nonstore Retailers 6,937 7,948 1,011 15% 273 0.97 0.99 2.00%
902 State Government 28,208 32,308 4,100 15% 3,552 0.48 0.54 5.19%
621 Ambulatory Health Care Services 84,699 96,614 11,915 14% 3,346 1.07 1.09 2.24%
623 Nursing and Residential Care
Facilities 25,146 28,413 3,267 13% 2,887 0.69 0.76 6.72%
325 Chemical Manufacturing 7,473 8,441 968 13% 595 0.84 0.89 5.07%
337 Furniture and Related Product
Manufacturing 4,263 4,802 540 13% 646 0.97 1.10 13.38%
446 Health and Personal Care Stores 10,942 12,253 1,312 12% 1,524 0.94 1.06 11.82%
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
Mature Growing
Location Quotients are
greater than 1.2 and
steadily decreasing
Location Quotients are
greater than 1.2 and
steadily increasing
Declining Emerging
Location Quotient is less
than 1.2 and steadily
decreasing
Location Quotient is less
than 1.2 and steadily
increasing
EXHIBIT 1
The following is a list of the top occupations in Orange County with emerging demand. These
occupations have a location quotient of less than 1.2 as of 2020. The location quotient has
increased since 2015. The competitive effect is positive in these professions, demonstrating a
high degree of regional-specific factors influencing job growth.
SOC Description 2015
Jobs
2020
Jobs
2015 -
2020
Change
2015 -
2020 %
Change
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Competitive
Effect
2015
Location
Quotient
2020
Location
Quotient
%
Change
in LQ
31-1100
Home Health and Personal
Care Aides; and Nursing
Assistants, Orderlies, and
Psychiatric Aides
30,483 54,644 24,161 79% $13.52 20,036 0.59 0.91 0.33
19-5000
Occupational Health and
Safety Specialists and
Technicians
574 877 303 53% $40.62 142 0.59 0.70 0.10
21-1000
Counselors, Social
Workers, and Other
Community and Social
Service Specialists
17,852 24,920 7,068 40% $23.94 5,082 0.77 0.96 0.18
33-1000 Supervisors of Protective
Service Workers 1,127 1,383 256 23% $33.60 64 0.37 0.38 0.01
25-9000
Other Educational
Instruction and Library
Occupations
16,127 19,323 3,196 20% $18.30 1,792 0.85 0.93 0.07
53-3000 Motor Vehicle Operators 29,104 34,733 5,629 19% $19.04 3,050 0.61 0.66 0.05
53-2000 Air Transportation Workers 1,013 1,205 192 19% $45.77 115 0.28 0.31 0.03
11-9000 Other Management
Occupations 39,256 46,246 6,991 18% $43.06 2,157 0.98 1.01 0.03
45-1000
Supervisors of Farming,
Fishing, and Forestry
Workers
94 111 17 17% $29.59 19 0.15 0.18 0.03
47-4000 Other Construction and
Related Workers 3,271 3,835 564 17% $28.06 292 0.70 0.74 0.05
EXHIBIT 1
SOC Description 2015
Jobs
2020
Jobs
2015 -
2020
Change
2015 -
2020 %
Change
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Competitive
Effect
2015
Location
Quotient
2020
Location
Quotient
%
Change
in LQ
51-8000 Plant and System
Operators 1,618 1,842 224 14% $39.74 263 0.45 0.52 0.07
45-3000 Fishing and Hunting
Workers 81 91 10 12% $19.64 24 0.19 0.26 0.07
53-7000 Material Moving Workers 76,369 85,529 9,160 12% $14.41 2,204 1.06 1.07 0.01
39-1000 Supervisors of Personal
Care and Service Workers 2,551 2,841 290 11% $17.43 99 0.96 0.98 0.02
29-1000 Healthcare Diagnosing or
Treating Practitioners 47,605 52,687 5,082 11% $51.85 906 0.79 0.79 0.00
39-9000 Other Personal Care and
Service Workers 21,724 23,853 2,130 10% $14.05 2,621 0.81 0.90 0.09
25-1000 Postsecondary Teachers 17,453 19,004 1,551 9% $42.07 1,599 0.87 0.93 0.07
49-9000
Other Installation,
Maintenance, and Repair
Occupations
28,031 30,368 2,337 8% $22.97 643 0.83 0.83 0.01
33-2000 Firefighting and Prevention
Workers 1,783 1,918 136 8% $40.45 110 0.48 0.50 0.02
21-2000 Religious Workers 4,340 4,639 299 7% $29.84 166 0.84 0.85 0.02
51-3000 Food Processing Workers 6,764 7,042 278 4% $14.06 198 0.76 0.77 0.01
45-4000 Forest, Conservation, and
Logging Workers 116 120 4 4% $14.14 4 0.14 0.15 0.00
37-2000 Building Cleaning and Pest
Control Workers 48,275 49,995 1,720 4% $14.85 3,534 1.01 1.07 0.06
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
2B. FOSTERING DEMAND-DRIVEN SKILLS ATTAINMENT
2Bi. Identify the in-demand industry sectors or occupations for the region.
The Orange RPU has identified four priority industry sectors (or industry clusters) with a
substantial current and potential impact on the regional economy based on labor market
information. Advanced manufacturing, health care, information communication technology and
digital media, and retail, hospitality and tourism contribute to the growth and stability of other
supporting businesses, industry sectors, and jobs that lead to economic self-sufficiency and
advancement opportunities for Orange County residents.
NAICS industry codes included in each sector
Industry NAICS
Advanced Manufacturing 3240, 3251-54, 3259, 3271, 3279, 3311, 3313, 3315,
3331-3333, 3336, 3339, 3341-3346, 3351-3353
Healthcare 621,622,623
Information and Communications
Technology (ICT)/Digital Media 51, 5415
Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism 44, 45, 71,72
The Advanced Manufacturing sector has 92,045 full and part-time jobs. The average earnings
per job in 2020 was $122,840. There were 2,169 payrolled businesses in the Orange County
region in 2020. The industry growth between 2017 and 2020 was .9%, below the state average
of 1.9%. Regardless of this slight upward percentage movement, manufacturing has been on the
decline in the region and the nation. The expected change between 2020 to 2030 is -5.2%, with
a loss of 4,741 jobs. Automation, change in skills required to perform new tasks, import
competition, and a decrease in mobility are all reasons cited as contributions to the decline.
EXHIBIT 1
Despite the declining jobs, advanced manufacturing is a priority in the Orange RPU due to the
number of jobs and the impact on the local economy, given the sector’s total gross regional
product (GRP) of $23.8 billion. This sector represents approximately 10% of the county’s total
GRP. The advanced manufacturing sector has highly specialized and growing advanced
manufacturing subsectors in Orange County. Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing
had a concentration in the Orange County region five times higher than typical regional areas,
with a location quotient of 5.43. Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing also increased
jobs by 12% between 2015 and 2020, bringing the total employment in 2020 to 19,776. Other
healthy and growing subsectors in the region are semiconductor and other electronic component
manufacturing (LQ 3.28), audio and video equipment manufacturing (LQ 4.89), semiconductor
and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (LQ 3.28), and Manufacturing and Reproducing
Magnetic and Optical Media (LQ 3.12), aerospace product and parts manufacturing (LQ 1.95).
Manufacturing companies will need a
skilled worker pipeline to fill jobs in these
specialized subsectors and retirement
positions. The sector has an aging
workforce regionally and nationally.
Workers 65 and older represent 6.7% of
the workers, and 24.6% are between 55
and 64. Recruiting and retaining a high-
quality workforce for new technology-
driving positions will be necessary for
manufacturing innovation. There are
multiple opportunities at various entry
points for individuals with a high school diploma, a certification program, or a 2-4 year college
degree.
The Healthcare sector has 158,224 full and part-time jobs. The average earnings per job in 2020
was $77,496. There were 11,248 private and public healthcare establishments in the Orange
County region in 2020. The industry growth between 2017 and 2020 was 5.4%, above the state’s
growth percentage of 5.2%. The expected change between 2020 to 2030 is 18.2%, with a gain of
28,832 jobs. The sector contributes $15.5 billion in GRP, 9% of the county’s total GRP. The
healthcare sector comprises several related subsectors and supporting industries that include
ambulatory health care services, hospitals, and nursing and residential facilities. The healthcare
sector is growing and continues to be a stalwart industry throughout the pandemic. Healthcare
is one of the few recession-proof industries, with registered nurses being the top posted
occupation between January 2020 to 2021 22. The sector will likely continue to be a driver of
economic activity given the rapidly aging Orange County population, increasing the likelihood
that many residents will require more health care and support services.
22 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
118
3,771
16,793 18,540
23,942 22,688
6,192
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
14-18 19-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+2020 Jobs2020 Industry Sector Age Breakdown
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics,
EXHIBIT 1
The ICT/Digital Media (ICT) sector has 54,096 full- and part-time jobs. Computer programming
services, computer systems design services, and software publishers have the highest number of
jobs in the county, at 33,410 jobs combined. The average earnings per job in 2020 was $132,987.
There were 4,545 payrolled business locations in the Orange County region in 2020. The industry
growth between 2017 and 2020 was 0.8%, below the nation’s percentage of 3.5%. The expected
job growth between 2020 to 2030 is 7.1%, with a gain of 3,849 jobs. The sector contributes $16.1
billion in GRP, 11% of the county’s total GRP. The technology sector accounts for a significant
portion of Orange County’s economic activity, as economies, jobs, and personal lives become
more digital and automated. The ICT sector develops innovative services and products that
impact all industries in a region. The ICT applications can be seen in manufacturing with
computer simulation and the healthcare industry with the rise of telemedicine and telehealth.
Training and upskilling of existing staff in the industry will be crucial in ensuring regional
competitiveness.
The Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism sector has 369,332 full- and part-time jobs, making it the
largest targeted sector of the RPU. The average earnings per job were $39,625 in 2020. There
were 19,500 payrolled establishments in the Orange County region in 2020. The number of jobs
declined by 5.9% between 2017 and 2020. The state and the nation declined by 5.7% during the
same period. The expected change between 2020 to 2030 is a growth of 3.0% and 11,153 job
gains. The sector contributes $26.2 billion in GRP, 10% of the county’s total GRP. According to
the Orange County Visitors Association, OC welcomed 50.2 million visitors who spend 413 billion
dollars in 2019. This sector is part of Orange County’s DNA and was hit the hardest by the
pandemic’s effects. The industry sector is diverse and includes hotels, restaurants,
entertainment venues, cultural attractions, sports parks, theme parks, food establishments, retail
stores, and other venues. The industries with the highest numbers of jobs in 2020 were full-
service restaurants (60,461), limited-service restaurants (52,828), and amusement and theme
parks (27,368).
Often the jobs within these industries are characterized by low-wages. The industry has
historically offered entry-level employment opportunities to new immigrants and candidates
with a high school diploma. While many jobs exist in lower-paid, entry-level classifications, there
are many opportunities to secure positions offering higher compensation. The challenge is
ensuring those in entry-level positions obtain additional job-specific skills and English language
skills necessary to qualify for promotional opportunities. Sector strategies and incumbent worker
training are workforce development strategies that can play an essential role in lifting people up
from lower-wage jobs.
2Bi i. Describe how the RPU and regional partners will expand or develop, and then
implement sector initiatives for those in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
Orange RPU started the regions sector partnership work under the Slingshot grant. The RPU
engaged John Melville, a national leader in the design and practice of next-generation industry
engagement. John Melville’s initial work guided the launch of Industry Sector Partnerships (ISP)
in the RPU’s four priority sectors using the Next Gen Sector Partnership model. The first
EXHIBIT 1
collaboration meetings occurred just before the COVID-19 pandemic. These meetings
represented a starting point for a partnership that will deepen and grow over the next several
years. The RPU had participation from core partners, employers, chambers, and unions. The
Orange RPU regional organizer will continue to lead the sector partnership work.
The goal of the RPU sector partnership strategy is three-fold:
1. Conduct regular sector meetings with employers to identify common industry priorities,
address shared vitality issues, and understand hiring and training needs to create a
pipeline of qualified candidates in growing sectors.
2. Develop workforce strategies in partnership with adult education, community colleges,
and other partners that include mapping career pathways, work-based learning, and
apprenticeship programs.
3. Unify and coordinate business engagement efforts by all partners to minimize duplication
of efforts, minimize employer fatigue, and promote systemic change that benefits the
industry, workers, and the community.
To address upward income mobility and improve economic self-sufficiency, continuous and
authentic industry leadership and shifts in workforce strategies are needed to transition low-skill
job seekers into middle-skill careers and address underemployment in the region. The pandemic
has slowed the industry sector’s work progress. The RPU is still committed to re-engaging
employers and partners and building upon the industry sector work started.
The RPU will work jointly with the Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortium (LAOCRC) as
the lead sector strategy convening team. LAOCRC serves as a regional framework to
communicate, coordinate, collaborate, promote and plan career and technical education and
workforce and economic development in the Los Angeles/Orange County Region. In Orange
County, LAOCRC includes nine community colleges and one stand-alone continuing education
(noncredit) center within four community college districts. LAOCRC Regional Consortium has
identified separate priority sectors for each subregion. Orange County community college sectors
are shown below. Four of the community college sectors align with the Orange RPU priority industry
sectors; however, the RPU changed the titles to match those of the community college to ensure no
confusion on the region’s priority industries.
Priority Sectors for the OC Region
Sectors
Community
Colleges Orange RPU
Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced Transportation & Logistics
Life Sciences/Biotech
Business and Entrepreneurship
Energy, Construction, and Utilities
Healthcare
ICT/Digital Media
Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism
EXHIBIT 1
In partnership with LAOCRC, the RPU will expand sector partnerships by working with Orange
County chambers of commerce and other community and educational partners to identify
additional core team members who will support strengthening industry sector partnerships.
Orange County has many state, county, and local civic organizations, four community college
school districts, twenty-seven K-12 school districts, California State University and University of
California systems, and numerous other public and private stakeholders with a vested interest in
workforce and economic development. Such a large number of stakeholders requires a great
deal of commitment from the core group to build deep, sustainable relationships resulting in
career pathways and a steady pipeline of workers within our identified priority sectors.
This core team will be responsible for developing and carrying out an action plan that provides a
strategic and coordinated effort to unify business engagement efforts, identify and engage
industry champions, other businesses, and support partner organizations. The core team will
relaunch sector meetings in the four sectors to gather information about the challenges and
opportunities. After the initial meetings, employers will be invited to regular meetings to set
goals to address their needs and take actions with the partners on those goals. Meetings and
agendas will be employer-driven, and actions taken will create a pipeline of qualified candidates
who meet industry needs for in-demand occupations.
Although the RPU has started using the Next Gen model, fidelity is not as important as
determining the appropriate strategies tailored to the Orange County regional economy, industry
sectors, and worker populations. The RPU will schedule industry sector group meetings, and the
groups will begin to identify strategies, design appropriate programs and services, and then move
into the implementation of sector projects. Implementation will likely include a mix of basic
strategies that include:
• Training and skills development to bring new employees into specific industries and
occupations
• Business development
• Incumbent worker training
• Labor market and industry research
• Restructuring of work environments to improve recruitment, hiring, training,
compensation, and retention strategies
• Integrating two or more of these strategies in a multifaceted approach
2C. ENABLING UPWARD MOBILITY FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS
2Ci. Describe how the RPU will prioritize working with employers who provide
quality jobs that provide economic security through family-sustaining wages and
comprehensive benefits. This should include whether the RPU has, or plans to
develop, a formal policy related to job quality.
The Orange RPU is committed to identifying strategies that improve the workforce system,
ensuring that it enables economic growth and shared prosperity for employers and employees.
The California Workforce Development Board defines quality jobs as employment that provide
EXHIBIT 1
family-sustaining wages, health benefits, a pension, worker advancement opportunities, and
collective worker input and are stable, predictable, safe, and free of discrimination. The local
boards are attuned to the pandemic’s increased impact on residents in lower-paying jobs and the
increasing national attention given to those in low-wage jobs and who face increased inequality.
The RPU and regional partners work tirelessly to move unemployed and underemployed
individuals, especially those with barriers to employment, into higher-paying jobs with benefits.
Before the pandemic, Orange County’s unemployment numbers were historically low. But
unfortunately, low unemployment did not mean all Orange County residents were thriving.
Based on the two hundred and sixty-sixth percentile (266%) of the 2020 Federal Poverty Levels,
the self-sufficiency standard in Orange County is $23.89 an hour for a family size of 2. Low-wage
workers have suffered the most in this pandemic-induced recession. In 2020, 741,966 of the
1,805,612 jobs (42%) had an average wage of less than $20.00 an hour. The majority of these
jobs (511,322) were held by minority workers, with Hispanics holding the largest share of these
lower-wage jobs (46%). Massive job losses have been concentrated among lower-wage workers
in retail, hospitality and tourism, and food service jobs.
The region’s targeted industry sectors show potential for family-sustaining wages but are not
immune to offering lower wages. Such jobs are a big part of the Orange County regional
economy, given its large footprint in the retail, hospitality, and tourism industry. While some of
these entry-level occupations in targeted industry sectors have well-articulated career pathways
to a job with self-sustaining wages, each of the professions provides foundational skills that will
better qualify individuals for enhanced employment and income opportunities. Aspen Institute’s
work on sectoral workforce development strategies identified two fundamental approaches to
helping people connect to better employment:
1) removing barriers to good jobs for low-income people and
2) improving the quality of jobs in key sectors in which many low-income people work 23.
The RPU and regional partners understand the importance of developing strategies that
accomplish both. Through industry sector work, the RPU is committed to ensuring that job
training is a bridge to more financial stability and not a funnel for low-skill individuals into low-
wage occupations.
The Orange RPU understands its role in investing in and advocating for quality jobs. The RPU will
develop a standard tool for determining job quality to assess what industries, companies, and
jobs to target. The RPU will prioritize working with employers who provide quality jobs and those
interested in improving their job quality and being part of moving low-wage workers into better-
paying positions. The RPU will develop business engagement protocols that focus on engaging
businesses that provide quality jobs or have an interest in improving job quality. The RPU will
work with industry sector business leaders to ask questions and begin conversations around job
23 Maureen Conway et al., Sectoral Strategies for Low-Income Workers: Lessons from the Field (Washington, DC: Aspen
Institute, October 1, 2007), https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/sectoral-strategies-low-income-workers-lessons-field/
EXHIBIT 1
quality, helping businesses understand how workforce investments can improve their
competitive advantage.
Through sector work, the RPU will work with the businesses and regional partners to identify
entry-level positions and develop career pathways with multiple entry and exit points, ensuring
individuals understand their path to self-sufficiency. The RPU will review high-road employment
practices and strategies, such as the National Fund’s Design Framework, to design better jobs.
Their approach meets employers where they are and supports them along a continuum of
improvement. Lastly, the RPU will target limited dollars for on-the-job training and incumbent
worker training towards quality jobs that provide upward mobility.
2Cii. Describe how the RPU and regional partners will work together to identify
shared target populations and develop targeted service strategies
The one-stop delivery system provides the local boards and partners the framework to continue
and advance discussions of how workforce programs can be more effective, efficient, and
aligned. The regional partners recognize that the answers will only come when we step out of
our respective silos. The RPU and partner organizations have identified and are currently
addressing the needs of shared target populations that include English language learners, justice-
involved individuals, individuals with disabilities, Veterans, and disconnected and foster youth.
A recurring theme in our planning meetings was that organizations seeking to serve these
populations feel they would benefit from better linkages with other organizations doing the same
work or complementary work.
The RPU has regularly scheduled meetings to address service delivery and performance for all
but one of these targeted groups, English language learners. During the regional planning
meetings, the local boards and partners shared promising practices to address English language
learners’ specific challenges. The group discussed two distinct subcategories, those with low
skills and education and those with higher skills and educational degrees from other countries.
The RPU and partners made commitments to reconvene to discuss how we can collectively
improve service delivery to English language learners and determine if other populations warrant
different workforce development strategies to serve them more effectively.
2 Ciii . Describe how the RPU and regional partners will work with employers and
training providers to ensure that historically unserved and underserved
communities have equal access to the regional sector pathways, earn and learn
opportunities, supportive services, and other approaches identified by the RPU. This
should include whether the RPU has, or plans to develop, a formal policy related to
equity.
The RPU and regional partners will ensure historically unserved and underserved populations
have equal access to regional sector career pathways and other services and support through
sector partnerships. Through sector partnership work, the RPU and partners will have the
opportunity to work with employers to create career pathways that help mitigate the many
challenges unserved and underserved populations face in completing educational goals and
EXHIBIT 1
moving into employment with family-sustaining wages. Workforce development programs and
supports should not be designed as a one-size-fits-all solution. The populations we serve are
diverse, and program designs should reflect this diversity if we are going to close the skills gap
and combat economic inequality. Career pathways are a service-delivery model that can close
achievement gaps and advance racial equity by helping individuals build skills over time. Career
pathways are a long-term approach to serving individuals with limited basic skills or other
employment barriers that the local boards are committed to developing.
Sector partnership work will also provide an opportunity for the RPU to address issues such as
degree inflation that tend to exclude minorities from jobs during the hiring process. According
to Manjari Raman, director of Harvard Business School’s project on Managing the Future of Work,
degree inflation refers to jobs that historically required more than a high school diploma or less
than a college degree but now require a college degree 24. Explicitly requiring degrees for
positions instead of the jobs’ skills exacerbates the effect of racial disparities in educational
achievement and eliminates workers who may have acquired the skills in other ways. Also,
through sector partnership work, other hiring practices that disproportionately affect minorities,
such as automatically excluding potential employees using criminal background checks and credit
checks, can be discussed.
Another strategy that the sector partnerships will address is creating work-based learning
programs and pre-apprenticeship programs. Pre-apprenticeships can be valuable for people of
color who have been historically underrepresented in apprenticeships. Work-based learning
programs can provide vital formal access to employers that the population may not have had
when relying on their existing professional and social networks.
During the regional planning meetings, two general themes surfaced every session. One was
how some people lacked access to OC One-Stop services and the second issue was the lack of
digital literacy and access to broadband services. These are issues that the pandemic has
exacerbated. Attendees discussed how transportation and childcare needs, and a general lack of
understanding of the services available, contribute to preventing a large percentage of those
most in need of assistance from accessing them. The local boards recognize specific populations
require more outreach and require unique methods and strategies for locating, attracting, and
retaining their participation in workforce programs. The Orange County Board recently
purchased a mobile unit equipped with 12 computers inside and a monitor outside for
presentations. The mobile unit is accessible by wheelchair by using the wheelchair lift. The
mobile unit will serve as a mobile One-Stop Center for the Orange County community. During
the regional planning meetings, the local boards discussed options for deploying the mobile unit
to low-income communities, areas not close to a comprehensive One-Stop Center, and partner
locations to increase access and awareness of services. Also, the partners will explore developing
and using outreach and communication responsive to the targeted populations. The boards and
partner agencies will also explore additional referral agreements and referral processes with
24 Morgan, Kate. “'Degree Inflation': How the Four-Year Degree Became Required.” BBC Worklife, BBC, 28 Jan. 2021,
www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210126-degree-inflation-how-the-four-year-degree-became-
required#:~:text=Cornett%20is%20a%20victim%20of,Managing%20the%20Future%20of%20Work.
EXHIBIT 1
other organizations that can be engaged as partners to serve targeted people in their
communities. Disadvantaged and vulnerable populations need increased support services,
multiple service strategies, co-enrollment in additional programs, referrals to community service
providers, and a team approach to succeed in the labor market.
Broadband internet access is necessary for participants to complete enrollment applications,
financial aid applications, and work requirements. Job openings are now almost exclusively
accessible via the internet. Many job search websites are not fully accessible to mobile phone
users. The digital divide between people who have broadband internet access and those who
have no access or cell phone-only access is also a huge barrier to accessing post-secondary
education and entering the workforce. The RPU and regional partners have discussed the need
for partners to collectively address the digital divide and commit to convening a workgroup to
address this issue.
The RPU has had informal conversations on strategies to address issues related to equity. The
boards are committed to continuing the dialogue on regional equity issues and policy
development related to equity.
2D. ALIGNING, COORDINATING, AND INTEGRATING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
2Di . Describe any regional service strategies, including use of cooperative service
delivery agreements or MOU.
A cooperative service agreement has been established between the three local boards to solidify
the commitment to the overall workforce and economic development of the OC Region through
system alignment, integration of service delivery, and leverage/braiding of funding. The regional
boards have a very active and healthy partnership. Regional service strategies include:
• Improve and enhance customer experience by ensuring staff receives ongoing
professional development training and cross-training
• Meet the needs of employers by implementing and scaling career pathways
• Improve the quality of the workforce by improving alignment and partner connections
• Align investments in targeted populations and industry sectors
• Expand opportunities for employers and participants to engage in integrated learning
and work experience activities
• Sharing resources and braiding funds for tools and services that support the region as a
whole
2Dii.Describe any regional administrative cost arrangements, including the pooling
of funds for administrative costs for the region.
The three boards in the Orange County RPU collaborate on multiple projects, with one or the
other board acting as the fiscal agent. The RPU does not have any overarching arrangements or
intent to pool funds for administrative costs at this time.
EXHIBIT 1
Orange County RPU’s goal is to better align workforce services with economic development,
educational institutions, and business. The boards will consider administrative costs
arrangements if it allows the RPU to accomplish the objectives of the RPU more efficiently.
EXHIBIT 1
APPENDICES:
3A. STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
EXHIBIT 1
3B. PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED THAT DISAGREE WITH THE REGIONAL PLAN
EXHIBIT 1
3C. SIGNATURE PAGE
ORANGE COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING UNIT
The regional plan represents the Orange Regional Planning Unit efforts to maximize and coordinate
resources available under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This regional plan,
inclusive of a unified local plan, is submitted for the period July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024, in
accordance with the provisions of WIOA.
LOCAL BOARD CHAIRS LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
ORANGE COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD COUNTY OF ORANGE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Signature Signature
Teri Hollingsworth Andrew Do
Name Name
Chair, Orange County Workforce Development
Board Chair, Orange County Board of Supervisors
Title Title
Date Date
ANAHEIM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD CITY OF ANAHEIM COUNCIL
Signature Signature
Joe Paquette Harry Sidhu
Name Name
Chair, Anaheim Workforce Development Board Mayor, City of Anaheim
Title Title
Date Date
SANTA ANA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD CITY OF SANTA ANA COUNCIL
Signature Signature
Stacey Sanchez Vicente Sarmiento
Name Name
Chair, Santa Ana Workforce Development
Board Mayor, City of Santa Ana
Title Title
Date Date
EXHIBIT 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Regional Plan Content ................................................................................................................................... 1
2A. Analytical Overview of the Region ...................................................................................................... 1
2B. Fostering Demand-Driven Skills Attainment ..................................................................................... 13
2C. Enabling Upward Mobility for All Californians .................................................................................. 17
2D. Aligning, Coordinating, and Integrating Programs and Services ..................................................... 21
Appendices: ................................................................................................................................................. 23
3A. Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary ....................................................................... 23
3B. Public comments received that disagree with the Regional Plan .................................................... 25
3C. Signature Page ................................................................................................................................. 26
EXHIBIT 1
REGIONAL PLAN CONTENT
2A. ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW OF THE REGION
The Orange Regional Planning Unit (RPU) is comprised of three local Workforce Development
Boards (WDBs) serving 34 cities and several large unincorporated areas in Orange County (OC).
The RPU includes the Anaheim Workforce Development Board, which serves the City of Anaheim,
the Santa Ana Workforce Development Board, which serves the City of Santa Ana, and the Orange
County Workforce Development Board, which serves the remaining 32 cities and unincorporated
areas of Orange County. Orange County is the third-most populous county in California
(3,193,929 people)1 and the sixth-most populous in the nation. The region’s population has
increased by 1.4% since 2015, growing by 44,649 people.
Orange County had experienced several years of job growth and economic vitality, resulting in
record-low unemployment rates before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has since
derailed this long streak of growth and the long-term social
and economic impacts remain to be seen. Orange County’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased annually since
2009 to 269.2 billion in 2019.2 Orange County’s economy
ranked 3rd in California and 8th nationally in 2018 based on
its GDP. Orange County has employed 1,598,700 in
nonfarm jobs as of December 2020. The median household
income was $85,400 in 2018, $25,100 above the national
average.3
Orange County is experiencing demographic shifts that have economic and workforce
implications. Over the next several decades, Orange County’s senior population will increase
significantly while working-age populations
fall. According to the California Department
of Finance (DOF), estimates show seniors 65-
74 will increase by 17.75%, 74-84 group by
65.7%, and 85 or older will increase by
268.7%. The population change will likely
require increased employment in health care
and other senior service occupations.
Simultaneously, the shrinking working-age
population could impact economic
prosperity and cause more challenges for
employers filling open positions.
1 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
2 “GDP: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).” GDP | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), www.bea.gov/data/gdp.
3 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
Year GDP
2015 $ 225,178,787.00
2016 $ 234,053,392.00
2017 $ 247,314,645.00
2018 $ 256,981,877.00
2019 $ 269,229,776.00
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
0-4
5-19
20-64
65-74
74-84
85+
Orange County Projected Population Change
between 2020-20604
Source: California Department of Finance, Demographic
EXHIBIT 1
Ethnic diversity in Orange County is high. The national
average for an area the size of Orange County is 1,266,735
racially diverse people, while there are 1,910,690 in OC.4
Orange County’s diversity is projected to continue to grow
through 2060. Whites (39%) and Hispanics 5 (34%) make up
the largest percentage of the Orange County population, with
the Hispanic population growth between 2015 and 2020 at
19%, while the white population declined by 4%.6 Growing
diversity will increasingly be a key workforce and economic
development advantage for Orange County. Diversity often creates an environment where the
exchange of ideas, strategies, and viewpoints fuel innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing
to sustained economic success. Racial diversity challenges local education providers and
workforce development to support English learners’ success by improving program support and
creating innovative programs such as vocational ESL programs. Non-English language speakers
represent 45.5% of Orange County residents, which is higher than the national average of 21.9%.
In 2018, Spanish was the most common non-English language spoken, with 24.8% of Orange
County residents being native Spanish speakers. Vietnamese (6.44%) and Chinese (2.94%) are the
second and third most common languages.7
Industry employment which includes self-employment, private household workers, farm and
nonfarm jobs in Orange County, is projected to reach 1,853,600 by 2026, a 9.3% increase over
the ten-year projection period of 2016 to 2026. Twelve of the 13 nonfarm industry sectors are
projected to grow during this period.
Total nonfarm jobs are projected to gain 145,000 jobs by 2026. Significant job growth is projected
in four industry sectors with educational, health services, and social assistance, leading to
4EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
5 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com, Hispanic population includes all races that identify as Hispanic.
6 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
7 Bureau, US Census. “American Community Survey Data Releases.” The United States Census Bureau, 31 July 2020, www.census.gov/programs-
surveys/acs/news/data-releases.2018.html.
1,000
2,800
2,900
3,700
4,100
5,100
5,700
6,700
19,000
27,400
28,200
38,400
Manufacturing
Wholesale Trade
Information
Other Services
Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities
Retail Trade
Financial Activities
Government
Construction
Leisure and Hospitality
Professional and Business Services
Educational Services (Private), Health Care, and Social…
Growth by Industry Sector
Source: EDD Labor Market Information
39%
34%
22%
2%3%
Racial/Ethnic Breakdown 2020
White
Hispanic
Asian
Black
Other
Source:EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021
EXHIBIT 1
expected gains of 38,400 jobs, with 17,300 projected to be in ambulatory health care services.
Professional and business services is projected to add 28,200. Leisure and hospitality is projected
to grow by 12.9%, adding 27,400 jobs. Construction is projected to add 19,000 with 13,700 of the
jobs in the specialty trades subsector.8
The top five fastest-growing industry sectors are construction (19.5%), health care and social
assistance (18.9%), leisure and hospitality (12.9%), information (11%), and professional and
business services (9.5%). 9
The industry sectors that added the most jobs between 2017 and 2020 are represented in the
chart below.
NAICS Description 2017 Jobs 2020 Jobs 2017 - 2020
Change
62 Health Care and Social Assistance 196,290 209,045 12,755
56 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and
Remediation Services 153,583 162,612 9,029
54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 151,234 156,909 5,674
55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 33,320 37,935 4,616
23 Construction 121,891 125,428 3,537
Source: EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021
Orange County is a thriving hub for medical device companies and cutting-edge industry sectors,
including life sciences, information technology, digital arts and media, and advanced
manufacturing. It is also known for its growing ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Many Southern California startups work on virtual and augmented reality, cybersecurity,
biomedical science, bioengineering, medical imaging, medical device, and environmental health
technologies. Over the next several years, Orange County is poised to be at the center of
emergent industries based on educational and intellectual assets in the region. The county’s most
robust traded clusters with a high employment specialization in the area are medical device
manufacturing (US Ranking 1), lighting and electrical equipment manufacturing (US Ranking 2),
apparel manufacturing (US Ranking 3), information technology and analytical instruments
manufacturing (US Ranking 5), and financial services (US Ranking 6).10
2A i. Provide an analysis of current employment and unemployment data.
Orange County had a positive economic outlook before the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January of 2020, Orange County had an unemployment rate of 2.9%, the lowest in Southern
California. In the preceding 12 months, the county’s unemployment rate had not exceeded 3.1%.
Before California’s first statewide stay-at-home order issued in March, closing all nonessential
businesses and restaurant dining, the unemployment rate stood at 2.8% in February of 2020. The
economic disruption from COVID-19 resulted in steep job losses, with the unemployment rate
quadrupling at its peak of 14.7% in May 2020, the highest unemployment rate ever recorded for
8 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov
9 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov
10 “U.S. Cluster Mapping: Mapping a Nation of Regional Clusters.” U.S. Cluster Mapping | Mapping a Nation of Regional Clusters,
www.clustermapping.us/.
EXHIBIT 1
Orange County. The rates slowly declined to 6.4% in November 2020 before ascending to 7.4%
in December 2020 when regional stay-at-home orders went back into effect. This rate compares
with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 8.8 percent for California and 6.5 percent for the
nation during the same period.11
Concentrated job loss in hospitality and tourism stung more sharply in the Orange County region
due to its economic dependence on tourism. In 2019, a record 50.2 million travelers visited
Orange County, spending $13.0 billion 12, however with the continued closure of major tourism
sites, especially Disneyland Park, the leisure and hospitality industry and surrounding cities
remain heavily impacted. The percent of unemployment by industry sector shows a grim picture
for industries that rely heavily on tourism. As of November 2020, retail trade had the highest
unemployment numbers at 16,063, and accommodation and food services had 10,815
unemployed. Other industries with high numbers of unemployment include Health Care and
Social Assistance (11,628), Manufacturing (11,215), Construction (9,371). 13
11 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/lmi-by-subjects.html.
12 Orange County Visitors Association, 2019, Orange County Visitors Association 2019-2021 Destination Marketing Plan,
www.travelcostamesa.com/visittheoc/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Marketing.pdf.
13 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
EXHIBIT 1
The pandemic-induced recession caused a loss of 267,600 nonfarm jobs between February and
April in Orange County. The employment loss between March and April of 2020 alone was
225,800, the largest ever recorded in a single month. All industry sectors experienced declines
between February and April, but leisure and hospitality (down 102,800) accounted for 38 percent
of the total nonfarm job loss during this period 14. Most of the decline was between March and
April, with a loss of 90,300 jobs. Seventy-seven percent of the drop occurred in accommodation
and food services (down 70,300 jobs), led by decreases in food services and drinking places (down
59,800 jobs). Other significant drops during this period include arts, entertainment, and
recreation, which fell by 20,000 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities decreased by 31,400
jobs, with retail trade accounting for 66 percent of the decline (down 20,800 jobs). Wholesale
trade dropped by 8,800 jobs, and transportation, warehousing and utilities decreased by 1,800
14 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/lmi-by-subjects.html.
0%
1%
5%
11%
5%
11%
5%
10%
0%
3%
1%
2%
4%
2%
16%
3%
11%
9%
0%
0%
0%
0%
2%
4%
14%
2%
13%
4%
10%
1%
4%
2%
2%
2%
5%
12%
4%
10%
8%
0%
1%
1%
0%5%10%15%
No Previous Work Experience/Unspecified
Government
Other Services (except Public Administration)
Accommodation and Food Services
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Health Care and Social Assistance
Educational Services
Administrative and Support and Waste…
Management of Companies and Enterprises
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Finance and Insurance
Information
Transportation and Warehousing
Retail Trade
Wholesale Trade
Manufacturing
Construction
Utilities
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Percent of Unemployment by Industry Sector
November 2020
% of National Unemployment % of Regional Unemployment
Source: EMSI Labor Market Analysis, 2021
EXHIBIT 1
jobs. Professional and business services declined by 29,200 jobs. Administrative and support
services, which includes temporary help firms, dropped by 18,900 jobs.15
Pandemic Job-Related Losses 16
Industry Feb-20 Mar-20 Apr-20 Dec-20
Feb to
Apr
%
change
April to
December
% of
losses
recovered
Shortfall
as of
December
Total Nonfarm 1,677,800 1,636,000 1,410,200 1,553,000 -267,600 15.9% 142,800 53.4% 124,800
Construction 105,400 100,600 96,800 107,900 -8,600 8% 11,100 129% -2,500
Manufacturing 158,700 157,500 143,200 145,300 -15,500 9.8% 2,100 13.5% 13,400
Transportation &
Warehousing 26,700 26,300 24,300 29,600 -2,400 9.0% 5,300 220.8% -2,900
Professional &
Business Services 326,300 313,300 288,400 318,400 -37,900 12% 30,000 79% 7,900
Educational Services 34,500 34,400 31,100 27,600 -3,400 9.9% -3,500 -102.9% 6,900
Health Care & Social
Assistance 200,600 198,800 172,600 196,400 -28,000 14.0% 23,800 85.0% 4,200
Leisure & Hospitality 227,500 215,000 124,700 168,700 -102,800 45.2% 44,000 42.8% 58,800
Other Services 50,800 44,400 33,000 41,100 -17,800 35.0% 8,100 45.5% 9,700
Government 168,700 170,500 162,000 156,100 -6,700 4.0% -5,900 -88.1% 12,600
As California moves toward
reopening, regional differences
will contribute to the pace of
recovery. The current depth of
job losses and Orange County’s
reliance on service sectors
means the region will have
more ground to make up. How
quickly businesses reopen and
rehire will depend on their
viability and how public health
risks evolve within the area.
For sectors and companies that
rely on in-person interaction,
the recovery pace is likely to be slower. As of December 2020, the county recovered 142,800
nonfarm jobs, which is equivalent to 53% of the job losses since the pandemic recession. Most
industries are experiencing incremental job gains monthly. Transportation and utilities and
construction jobs have exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with the largest month-over increase, up
4,200 jobs. Wholesale trade gained 1,800 jobs, retail trade added 1,500 jobs, and transportation,
warehousing and utilities expanded by 900 jobs.17
15 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, https://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/geography/orange-county.html
16 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
17 Labor Market Information, EDD, 2021, www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/lmi-by-subjects.html.
8,400
77,400 66,400 70,900
97,500
133,700
150,900 142,800
-
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20
Jobs Recovered between May and December 2020
Source: EDD Labor Market Information
EXHIBIT 1
According to Opportunity Insight’s
Economic Tracker, the drastic
difference between the low and
high quartiles shows that lower-
income bracket workers are
disproportionately affected by the
pandemic. In Orange County, as of
November 15, 2020, employment
rates among workers in the
bottom wage quartile (<$27K)
decreased by 25.4%, middle
quartile ($27K-$60K) decreased by
1.4%, and high quartile (>$60k)
increased 6.8% compared to
January 2020 18. Minority residents
mostly held these lower-paying
jobs and went into this economic crisis much more financially insecure and unstable.
2Aii. Provide an analysis of the current educational and skill levels of the
workforce, the current needs of employers in the region, and any relevant skill gaps
between the two.
Orange County is home to major universities such as the University of California, Irvine (UCI),
California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and Chapman University. It has four community
college districts with nine community colleges. These community colleges educate approximately
310,000 students in credit and noncredit courses each year.
Orange County’s primary
competitive advantage is a
talent pool of highly educated,
qualified residents. In Orange
County, 48.8% of adults over the
age of 25 have an associate
degree or higher, while only
14.5% lack a high school
diploma. Orange County
residents who possess a
bachelor’s degree are 6.3%
above the national average, and
7.7% hold an associate degree,
which is 0.9% below the national
average.
18 “The Economic Tracker.” Economic Tracker, tracktherecovery.org/.
5%
0%
18%
1%
2%
46%
28%
Percent of workers in jobs paying $15.00 or less
Black or African
American
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian or
Other Pacific Islander
Two or More Races
Hispanic or Latino
WhiteSource: EMSI Labor Market Analysis, 2021
Less Than 9th
Grade, 7.8%9th Grade to
12th Grade,
6.7%
High School
Diploma, 17.1%
Some College,
19.6%
Associate's
Degree, 7.7%
Bachelor's
Degree, 26.3%
Graduate
Degree and
Higher, 14.8%
Orange County Educational Attainment
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics,
EXHIBIT 1
Education data covers the population aged 25 years or older, indicating the highest level of
education achieved. Inequitable access to postsecondary education is a persistent problem. One
way in which this manifests is
through widely varying
educational attainment across
race and ethnicity. California’s
Post-secondary to Prosperity
Dashboard shows only 16% of
Latinx residents hold a four-year
degree. The dashboard also
shows that most Latinx
residents have no college
experience (59%), greater than
all other groups.19
The most popular majors in
Orange County are Liberal Arts and Sciences (21,289 and 25%), Business Administration and
Management (8,251 and 10%), and General Psychology (8,251 and 3%).
Orange County Regional Institutions Program Completions 20
CIP Code Program
Completions
(2015)
Completions
(2016)
Completions
(2017)
Completions
(2018)
Completions
(2019)
24.0101
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal
Studies 9,762 10,444 11,289 11,990 21,289
52.0201
Business Administration and
Management, General 7,093 7,993 7,914 7,758 8,251
42.0101 Psychology, General 2,145 2,208 2,138 2,462 2,637
30.0101 Biological and Physical Sciences 1,045 1,210 1,134 1,440 1,918
51.3801
Registered Nursing/Registered
Nurse 1,366 1,523 1,731 1,655 1,844
9.0101
Speech Communication and
Rhetoric 1,325 1,401 1,541 1,524 1,601
45.1101 Sociology 1,041 1,025 1,141 1,286 1,281
11.0701 Computer Science 592 840 929 1,132 1,274
26.0101
Biology/Biological Sciences,
General 1,101 1,056 1,015 1,083 1,200
12.041
Nail Technician/Specialist and
Manicurist 865 1,195 1,230 870 1,163
Employer need in the Orange County region is based on job posting and employment data
analysis, and educational
programs’ completions. Per
the two-digit Standard
Occupational Classification
(SOC) code group, there are
twenty-four occupations
19 “P2P Regions.” California Competes, californiacompetes.org/p2p/regions?region=orange.
20 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
Hispanic Asian White Other Black
2015 Educational Attainment by Race/Ethnicity
Less Than High School High School Diploma College Degree
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021, Hispanic group contains all combined races
EXHIBIT 1
and 610 programs in the region of study that may train for these occupations. Of these programs,
there were 86,656 program participant completions in 2019 and 196,852 job openings that
needed to be filled.
Identified in the table below are the occupations with the highest projected skills gap for Orange
County between 2015 and 2025. This analysis indicates a continued need to identify strategies
to fulfill training needs in various high-gap occupational areas. The research includes data based
on the following:
• Occupations where the 2020 median income hourly wage is higher than $16.00 an hour
• Openings greater than 10 (openings represent replacement jobs and Bureau of Labor
Statistics(BLS) growth estimates)
• Entry-level education that was greater than a postsecondary nondegree award and equal
to or less than a bachelor’s degree
• Top 15 occupations with a skills gap greater than zero (skills gap is the difference between
the projected openings and completions)
• The Openings figure estimates the change in growth and replacement jobs (Growth +
Replacements = Openings). Growth captures the change in the total number of workers
employed in an occupation. At the same time, replacement jobs are estimates of workers
permanently leaving a career and needing to be replaced by new hires. A combination of
both numbers indicates total openings.
Skills Gap by Occupation 21
SOC Description 2020
Jobs
2025
Jobs
2020 -
2025
Change
2020 -
2025
Replace-
ment Jobs
2020 -
2025
Openings
Regional
Comple-
tions
(2019)
Skills
Gap
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Typical Entry
Level
Education
43-3031 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and
Auditing Clerks 20,984 20,603 (381) 11,058 13,243 676 12,567 $22.58 Some college,
no degree
25-9045 Teaching Assistants, Except
Postsecondary 11,752 12,207 455 5,678 7,391 45 7,346 $17.63 Some college,
no degree
53-3032 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck
Drivers 10,600 10,908 308 5,433 6,891 133 6,758 $22.92 Postsecondary
nondegree
31-1131 Nursing Assistants 9,546 10,594 1,049 5,118 7,441 1,178 6,263 $16.75 Postsecondary
nondegree
31-9092 Medical Assistants 8,628 9,548 920 4,476 6,496 2,156 4,340 $17.62
Postsecondary
nondegree
award
31-9011 Massage Therapists 4,714 5,489 775 2,556 4,013 1,097 2,916 $16.96 Postsecondary
nondegree
23-2011 Paralegals and Legal Assistants 4,308 4,662 354 2,143 3,009 174 2,835 $22.87 Associate
degree
49-3023 Automotive Service Technicians
and Mechanics 6,645 6,526 (119) 2,867 3,435 608 2,827 $21.99 Postsecondary
nondegree
31-9091 Dental Assistants 5,617 5,799 182 2,846 3,648 1,295 2,353 $19.39 Postsecondary
nondegree
43-4151 Order Clerks 3,576 3,337 (240) 1,826 2,211 41 2,170 $17.34 Some college,
no degree
49-9021
Heating, Air Conditioning, and
Refrigeration Mechanics and
Installers
3,944 4,182 238 1,727 2,354 262 2,092 $29.66 Postsecondary
nondegree
15-1232 Computer User Support
Specialists 7,826 8,244 418 2,690 3,724 1,647 2,077 $26.56 Some college,
no degree
29-2061 Licensed Practical and Licensed
Vocational Nurses 6,214 6,894 680 2,254 3,520 1,506 2,014 $28.94 Postsecondary
nondegree
21 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
EXHIBIT 1
SOC Description 2020
Jobs
2025
Jobs
2020 -
2025
Change
2020 -
2025
Replace-
ment Jobs
2020 -
2025
Openings
Regional
Comple-
tions
(2019)
Skills
Gap
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Typical Entry
Level
Education
49-2022
Telecommunications Equipment
Installers and Repairers, Except
Line Installers
2,327 2,099 (228) 1,119 1,331 0 1,331 $29.93 Postsecondary
nondegree
17-3023
Electrical and Electronic
Engineering Technologists and
Technicians
2,202 2,217 15 919 1,122 1 1,121 $30.84 Associate
degree
The top three hard skills requested by employers in job postings between January 2020 to
January 2021 were accounting, auditing, and customer relationship management. The following
charts show the top common hard skills and the top common skills in relation to the frequency
these skills appeared in job seeker profiles.
0%2%4%6%8%
New Product Development
Project Management
Customer Relationship Management
SQL (Programming Language)
Nursing
Restaurant Operation
Selling Techniques
Merchandising
Auditing
Accounting
Top Hard Skills
Frequency in Job Postings Frequency in Profiles
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%
Presentations
Microsoft Excel
Problem Solving
Detail Oriented
Operations
Leadership
Sales
Customer Service
Management
Communications
Top Common Skills
Frequency in Job Postings Frequency in Profiles
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
EXHIBIT 1
2Aiii. Provide an analysis of industries and occupations with an emerging demand.
The RPU analyzed location quotient, total jobs, and competitive effect data to identify industries
and occupations with an emerging demand. An analysis of location quotient data demonstrated
which occupations and industries are unique and specialized in the Orange County region
(compared to the national average). The competitive effect indicates how much of the job change
results from some unique competitive advantage in the area. The competitive effect measures
the job change that cannot be explained by national growth and industry mix. The change in
competitive effect points to regional-specific factors on the change in local employment
numbers. Factors such as labor force training and education, skills, transportation, supply chains,
aging demographics, and other regionally influenced factors may impact these industries and
occupations’ competitiveness.
Using the 3-digit NAICS code, the
emerging industries identified had a
location quotient that increased
between 2015 and 2020 and had a
location quotient less than 1.2. The
industry list was filtered to include
industries with a competitive effect
greater than 1, percent change in jobs
higher than 10%, and more than 1,000
jobs. The following chart consists of a list of the top thirteen emerging industries in Orange
County. This combined list of sectors accounted for 273,362 jobs in 2020. This group of
industries is projected to grow to 327,315 jobs by 2030.
Industries with Emerging Demand
NAICS Description 2015
Jobs
2020
Jobs
2015 -
2020
Change
2015 -
2020 %
Change
Competitive
Effect
2015
Location
Quotient
2020
Location
Quotient
%
Change
in LQ
485 Transit and Ground Passenger
Transportation 4,245 6,136 1,891 45% 1,209 0.64 0.79 14.56%
312 Beverage and Tobacco Product
Manufacturing 1,551 2,080 529 34% 125 0.62 0.65 3.04%
481 Air Transportation 827 1,091 264 32% 197 0.16 0.20 3.29%
624 Social Assistance 41,749 50,822 9,072 22% 3,690 0.96 1.02 6.02%
484 Truck Transportation 5,604 6,621 1,017 18% 841 0.30 0.34 3.92%
562 Waste Management and
Remediation Services 4,665 5,385 720 15% 158 1.02 1.04 1.58%
454 Nonstore Retailers 6,937 7,948 1,011 15% 273 0.97 0.99 2.00%
902 State Government 28,208 32,308 4,100 15% 3,552 0.48 0.54 5.19%
621 Ambulatory Health Care Services 84,699 96,614 11,915 14% 3,346 1.07 1.09 2.24%
623 Nursing and Residential Care
Facilities 25,146 28,413 3,267 13% 2,887 0.69 0.76 6.72%
325 Chemical Manufacturing 7,473 8,441 968 13% 595 0.84 0.89 5.07%
337 Furniture and Related Product
Manufacturing 4,263 4,802 540 13% 646 0.97 1.10 13.38%
446 Health and Personal Care Stores 10,942 12,253 1,312 12% 1,524 0.94 1.06 11.82%
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
Mature Growing
Location Quotients are
greater than 1.2 and
steadily decreasing
Location Quotients are
greater than 1.2 and
steadily increasing
Declining Emerging
Location Quotient is less
than 1.2 and steadily
decreasing
Location Quotient is less
than 1.2 and steadily
increasing
EXHIBIT 1
The following is a list of the top occupations in Orange County with emerging demand. These
occupations have a location quotient of less than 1.2 as of 2020. The location quotient has
increased since 2015. The competitive effect is positive in these professions, demonstrating a
high degree of regional-specific factors influencing job growth.
SOC Description 2015
Jobs
2020
Jobs
2015 -
2020
Change
2015 -
2020 %
Change
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Competitive
Effect
2015
Location
Quotient
2020
Location
Quotient
%
Change
in LQ
31-1100
Home Health and Personal
Care Aides; and Nursing
Assistants, Orderlies, and
Psychiatric Aides
30,483 54,644 24,161 79% $13.52 20,036 0.59 0.91 0.33
19-5000
Occupational Health and
Safety Specialists and
Technicians
574 877 303 53% $40.62 142 0.59 0.70 0.10
21-1000
Counselors, Social
Workers, and Other
Community and Social
Service Specialists
17,852 24,920 7,068 40% $23.94 5,082 0.77 0.96 0.18
33-1000 Supervisors of Protective
Service Workers 1,127 1,383 256 23% $33.60 64 0.37 0.38 0.01
25-9000
Other Educational
Instruction and Library
Occupations
16,127 19,323 3,196 20% $18.30 1,792 0.85 0.93 0.07
53-3000 Motor Vehicle Operators 29,104 34,733 5,629 19% $19.04 3,050 0.61 0.66 0.05
53-2000 Air Transportation Workers 1,013 1,205 192 19% $45.77 115 0.28 0.31 0.03
11-9000 Other Management
Occupations 39,256 46,246 6,991 18% $43.06 2,157 0.98 1.01 0.03
45-1000
Supervisors of Farming,
Fishing, and Forestry
Workers
94 111 17 17% $29.59 19 0.15 0.18 0.03
47-4000 Other Construction and
Related Workers 3,271 3,835 564 17% $28.06 292 0.70 0.74 0.05
EXHIBIT 1
SOC Description 2015
Jobs
2020
Jobs
2015 -
2020
Change
2015 -
2020 %
Change
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Competitive
Effect
2015
Location
Quotient
2020
Location
Quotient
%
Change
in LQ
51-8000 Plant and System
Operators 1,618 1,842 224 14% $39.74 263 0.45 0.52 0.07
45-3000 Fishing and Hunting
Workers 81 91 10 12% $19.64 24 0.19 0.26 0.07
53-7000 Material Moving Workers 76,369 85,529 9,160 12% $14.41 2,204 1.06 1.07 0.01
39-1000 Supervisors of Personal
Care and Service Workers 2,551 2,841 290 11% $17.43 99 0.96 0.98 0.02
29-1000 Healthcare Diagnosing or
Treating Practitioners 47,605 52,687 5,082 11% $51.85 906 0.79 0.79 0.00
39-9000 Other Personal Care and
Service Workers 21,724 23,853 2,130 10% $14.05 2,621 0.81 0.90 0.09
25-1000 Postsecondary Teachers 17,453 19,004 1,551 9% $42.07 1,599 0.87 0.93 0.07
49-9000
Other Installation,
Maintenance, and Repair
Occupations
28,031 30,368 2,337 8% $22.97 643 0.83 0.83 0.01
33-2000 Firefighting and Prevention
Workers 1,783 1,918 136 8% $40.45 110 0.48 0.50 0.02
21-2000 Religious Workers 4,340 4,639 299 7% $29.84 166 0.84 0.85 0.02
51-3000 Food Processing Workers 6,764 7,042 278 4% $14.06 198 0.76 0.77 0.01
45-4000 Forest, Conservation, and
Logging Workers 116 120 4 4% $14.14 4 0.14 0.15 0.00
37-2000 Building Cleaning and Pest
Control Workers 48,275 49,995 1,720 4% $14.85 3,534 1.01 1.07 0.06
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics, 2021
2B. FOSTERING DEMAND-DRIVEN SKILLS ATTAINMENT
2Bi. Identify the in-demand industry sectors or occupations for the region.
The Orange RPU has identified four priority industry sectors (or industry clusters) with a
substantial current and potential impact on the regional economy based on labor market
information. Advanced manufacturing, health care, information communication technology and
digital media, and retail, hospitality and tourism contribute to the growth and stability of other
supporting businesses, industry sectors, and jobs that lead to economic self-sufficiency and
advancement opportunities for Orange County residents.
NAICS industry codes included in each sector
Industry NAICS
Advanced Manufacturing 3240, 3251-54, 3259, 3271, 3279, 3311, 3313, 3315,
3331-3333, 3336, 3339, 3341-3346, 3351-3353
Healthcare 621,622,623
Information and Communications
Technology (ICT)/Digital Media 51, 5415
Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism 44, 45, 71,72
The Advanced Manufacturing sector has 92,045 full and part-time jobs. The average earnings
per job in 2020 was $122,840. There were 2,169 payrolled businesses in the Orange County
region in 2020. The industry growth between 2017 and 2020 was .9%, below the state average
of 1.9%. Regardless of this slight upward percentage movement, manufacturing has been on the
decline in the region and the nation. The expected change between 2020 to 2030 is -5.2%, with
a loss of 4,741 jobs. Automation, change in skills required to perform new tasks, import
competition, and a decrease in mobility are all reasons cited as contributions to the decline.
EXHIBIT 1
Despite the declining jobs, advanced manufacturing is a priority in the Orange RPU due to the
number of jobs and the impact on the local economy, given the sector’s total gross regional
product (GRP) of $23.8 billion. This sector represents approximately 10% of the county’s total
GRP. The advanced manufacturing sector has highly specialized and growing advanced
manufacturing subsectors in Orange County. Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing
had a concentration in the Orange County region five times higher than typical regional areas,
with a location quotient of 5.43. Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing also increased
jobs by 12% between 2015 and 2020, bringing the total employment in 2020 to 19,776. Other
healthy and growing subsectors in the region are semiconductor and other electronic component
manufacturing (LQ 3.28), audio and video equipment manufacturing (LQ 4.89), semiconductor
and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (LQ 3.28), and Manufacturing and Reproducing
Magnetic and Optical Media (LQ 3.12), aerospace product and parts manufacturing (LQ 1.95).
Manufacturing companies will need a
skilled worker pipeline to fill jobs in these
specialized subsectors and retirement
positions. The sector has an aging
workforce regionally and nationally.
Workers 65 and older represent 6.7% of
the workers, and 24.6% are between 55
and 64. Recruiting and retaining a high-
quality workforce for new technology-
driving positions will be necessary for
manufacturing innovation. There are
multiple opportunities at various entry
points for individuals with a high school diploma, a certification program, or a 2-4 year college
degree.
The Healthcare sector has 158,224 full and part-time jobs. The average earnings per job in 2020
was $77,496. There were 11,248 private and public healthcare establishments in the Orange
County region in 2020. The industry growth between 2017 and 2020 was 5.4%, above the state’s
growth percentage of 5.2%. The expected change between 2020 to 2030 is 18.2%, with a gain of
28,832 jobs. The sector contributes $15.5 billion in GRP, 9% of the county’s total GRP. The
healthcare sector comprises several related subsectors and supporting industries that include
ambulatory health care services, hospitals, and nursing and residential facilities. The healthcare
sector is growing and continues to be a stalwart industry throughout the pandemic. Healthcare
is one of the few recession-proof industries, with registered nurses being the top posted
occupation between January 2020 to 2021 22. The sector will likely continue to be a driver of
economic activity given the rapidly aging Orange County population, increasing the likelihood
that many residents will require more health care and support services.
22 EMSI Labor Market Analytics, 2021, www.economicmodeling.com.
118
3,771
16,793 18,540
23,942 22,688
6,192
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
14-18 19-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+2020 Jobs2020 Industry Sector Age Breakdown
Source: EMSI, Labor Market Analytics,
EXHIBIT 1
The ICT/Digital Media (ICT) sector has 54,096 full- and part-time jobs. Computer programming
services, computer systems design services, and software publishers have the highest number of
jobs in the county, at 33,410 jobs combined. The average earnings per job in 2020 was $132,987.
There were 4,545 payrolled business locations in the Orange County region in 2020. The industry
growth between 2017 and 2020 was 0.8%, below the nation’s percentage of 3.5%. The expected
job growth between 2020 to 2030 is 7.1%, with a gain of 3,849 jobs. The sector contributes $16.1
billion in GRP, 11% of the county’s total GRP. The technology sector accounts for a significant
portion of Orange County’s economic activity, as economies, jobs, and personal lives become
more digital and automated. The ICT sector develops innovative services and products that
impact all industries in a region. The ICT applications can be seen in manufacturing with
computer simulation and the healthcare industry with the rise of telemedicine and telehealth.
Training and upskilling of existing staff in the industry will be crucial in ensuring regional
competitiveness.
The Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism sector has 369,332 full- and part-time jobs, making it the
largest targeted sector of the RPU. The average earnings per job were $39,625 in 2020. There
were 19,500 payrolled establishments in the Orange County region in 2020. The number of jobs
declined by 5.9% between 2017 and 2020. The state and the nation declined by 5.7% during the
same period. The expected change between 2020 to 2030 is a growth of 3.0% and 11,153 job
gains. The sector contributes $26.2 billion in GRP, 10% of the county’s total GRP. According to
the Orange County Visitors Association, OC welcomed 50.2 million visitors who spend 413 billion
dollars in 2019. This sector is part of Orange County’s DNA and was hit the hardest by the
pandemic’s effects. The industry sector is diverse and includes hotels, restaurants,
entertainment venues, cultural attractions, sports parks, theme parks, food establishments, retail
stores, and other venues. The industries with the highest numbers of jobs in 2020 were full-
service restaurants (60,461), limited-service restaurants (52,828), and amusement and theme
parks (27,368).
Often the jobs within these industries are characterized by low-wages. The industry has
historically offered entry-level employment opportunities to new immigrants and candidates
with a high school diploma. While many jobs exist in lower-paid, entry-level classifications, there
are many opportunities to secure positions offering higher compensation. The challenge is
ensuring those in entry-level positions obtain additional job-specific skills and English language
skills necessary to qualify for promotional opportunities. Sector strategies and incumbent worker
training are workforce development strategies that can play an essential role in lifting people up
from lower-wage jobs.
2Bi i. Describe how the RPU and regional partners will expand or develop, and then
implement sector initiatives for those in-demand industry sectors or occupations.
Orange RPU started the regions sector partnership work under the Slingshot grant. The RPU
engaged John Melville, a national leader in the design and practice of next-generation industry
engagement. John Melville’s initial work guided the launch of Industry Sector Partnerships (ISP)
in the RPU’s four priority sectors using the Next Gen Sector Partnership model. The first
EXHIBIT 1
collaboration meetings occurred just before the COVID-19 pandemic. These meetings
represented a starting point for a partnership that will deepen and grow over the next several
years. The RPU had participation from core partners, employers, chambers, and unions. The
Orange RPU regional organizer will continue to lead the sector partnership work.
The goal of the RPU sector partnership strategy is three-fold:
1. Conduct regular sector meetings with employers to identify common industry priorities,
address shared vitality issues, and understand hiring and training needs to create a
pipeline of qualified candidates in growing sectors.
2. Develop workforce strategies in partnership with adult education, community colleges,
and other partners that include mapping career pathways, work-based learning, and
apprenticeship programs.
3. Unify and coordinate business engagement efforts by all partners to minimize duplication
of efforts, minimize employer fatigue, and promote systemic change that benefits the
industry, workers, and the community.
To address upward income mobility and improve economic self-sufficiency, continuous and
authentic industry leadership and shifts in workforce strategies are needed to transition low-skill
job seekers into middle-skill careers and address underemployment in the region. The pandemic
has slowed the industry sector’s work progress. The RPU is still committed to re-engaging
employers and partners and building upon the industry sector work started.
The RPU will work jointly with the Los Angeles/Orange County Regional Consortium (LAOCRC) as
the lead sector strategy convening team. LAOCRC serves as a regional framework to
communicate, coordinate, collaborate, promote and plan career and technical education and
workforce and economic development in the Los Angeles/Orange County Region. In Orange
County, LAOCRC includes nine community colleges and one stand-alone continuing education
(noncredit) center within four community college districts. LAOCRC Regional Consortium has
identified separate priority sectors for each subregion. Orange County community college sectors
are shown below. Four of the community college sectors align with the Orange RPU priority industry
sectors; however, the RPU changed the titles to match those of the community college to ensure no
confusion on the region’s priority industries.
Priority Sectors for the OC Region
Sectors
Community
Colleges Orange RPU
Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced Transportation & Logistics
Life Sciences/Biotech
Business and Entrepreneurship
Energy, Construction, and Utilities
Healthcare
ICT/Digital Media
Retail, Hospitality, & Tourism
EXHIBIT 1
In partnership with LAOCRC, the RPU will expand sector partnerships by working with Orange
County chambers of commerce and other community and educational partners to identify
additional core team members who will support strengthening industry sector partnerships.
Orange County has many state, county, and local civic organizations, four community college
school districts, twenty-seven K-12 school districts, California State University and University of
California systems, and numerous other public and private stakeholders with a vested interest in
workforce and economic development. Such a large number of stakeholders requires a great
deal of commitment from the core group to build deep, sustainable relationships resulting in
career pathways and a steady pipeline of workers within our identified priority sectors.
This core team will be responsible for developing and carrying out an action plan that provides a
strategic and coordinated effort to unify business engagement efforts, identify and engage
industry champions, other businesses, and support partner organizations. The core team will
relaunch sector meetings in the four sectors to gather information about the challenges and
opportunities. After the initial meetings, employers will be invited to regular meetings to set
goals to address their needs and take actions with the partners on those goals. Meetings and
agendas will be employer-driven, and actions taken will create a pipeline of qualified candidates
who meet industry needs for in-demand occupations.
Although the RPU has started using the Next Gen model, fidelity is not as important as
determining the appropriate strategies tailored to the Orange County regional economy, industry
sectors, and worker populations. The RPU will schedule industry sector group meetings, and the
groups will begin to identify strategies, design appropriate programs and services, and then move
into the implementation of sector projects. Implementation will likely include a mix of basic
strategies that include:
• Training and skills development to bring new employees into specific industries and
occupations
• Business development
• Incumbent worker training
• Labor market and industry research
• Restructuring of work environments to improve recruitment, hiring, training,
compensation, and retention strategies
• Integrating two or more of these strategies in a multifaceted approach
2C. ENABLING UPWARD MOBILITY FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS
2Ci. Describe how the RPU will prioritize working with employers who provide
quality jobs that provide economic security through family-sustaining wages and
comprehensive benefits. This should include whether the RPU has, or plans to
develop, a formal policy related to job quality.
The Orange RPU is committed to identifying strategies that improve the workforce system,
ensuring that it enables economic growth and shared prosperity for employers and employees.
The California Workforce Development Board defines quality jobs as employment that provide
EXHIBIT 1
family-sustaining wages, health benefits, a pension, worker advancement opportunities, and
collective worker input and are stable, predictable, safe, and free of discrimination. The local
boards are attuned to the pandemic’s increased impact on residents in lower-paying jobs and the
increasing national attention given to those in low-wage jobs and who face increased inequality.
The RPU and regional partners work tirelessly to move unemployed and underemployed
individuals, especially those with barriers to employment, into higher-paying jobs with benefits.
Before the pandemic, Orange County’s unemployment numbers were historically low. But
unfortunately, low unemployment did not mean all Orange County residents were thriving.
Based on the two hundred and sixty-sixth percentile (266%) of the 2020 Federal Poverty Levels,
the self-sufficiency standard in Orange County is $23.89 an hour for a family size of 2. Low-wage
workers have suffered the most in this pandemic-induced recession. In 2020, 741,966 of the
1,805,612 jobs (42%) had an average wage of less than $20.00 an hour. The majority of these
jobs (511,322) were held by minority workers, with Hispanics holding the largest share of these
lower-wage jobs (46%). Massive job losses have been concentrated among lower-wage workers
in retail, hospitality and tourism, and food service jobs.
The region’s targeted industry sectors show potential for family-sustaining wages but are not
immune to offering lower wages. Such jobs are a big part of the Orange County regional
economy, given its large footprint in the retail, hospitality, and tourism industry. While some of
these entry-level occupations in targeted industry sectors have well-articulated career pathways
to a job with self-sustaining wages, each of the professions provides foundational skills that will
better qualify individuals for enhanced employment and income opportunities. Aspen Institute’s
work on sectoral workforce development strategies identified two fundamental approaches to
helping people connect to better employment:
1) removing barriers to good jobs for low-income people and
2) improving the quality of jobs in key sectors in which many low-income people work 23.
The RPU and regional partners understand the importance of developing strategies that
accomplish both. Through industry sector work, the RPU is committed to ensuring that job
training is a bridge to more financial stability and not a funnel for low-skill individuals into low-
wage occupations.
The Orange RPU understands its role in investing in and advocating for quality jobs. The RPU will
develop a standard tool for determining job quality to assess what industries, companies, and
jobs to target. The RPU will prioritize working with employers who provide quality jobs and those
interested in improving their job quality and being part of moving low-wage workers into better-
paying positions. The RPU will develop business engagement protocols that focus on engaging
businesses that provide quality jobs or have an interest in improving job quality. The RPU will
work with industry sector business leaders to ask questions and begin conversations around job
23 Maureen Conway et al., Sectoral Strategies for Low-Income Workers: Lessons from the Field (Washington, DC: Aspen
Institute, October 1, 2007), https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/sectoral-strategies-low-income-workers-lessons-field/
EXHIBIT 1
quality, helping businesses understand how workforce investments can improve their
competitive advantage.
Through sector work, the RPU will work with the businesses and regional partners to identify
entry-level positions and develop career pathways with multiple entry and exit points, ensuring
individuals understand their path to self-sufficiency. The RPU will review high-road employment
practices and strategies, such as the National Fund’s Design Framework, to design better jobs.
Their approach meets employers where they are and supports them along a continuum of
improvement. Lastly, the RPU will target limited dollars for on-the-job training and incumbent
worker training towards quality jobs that provide upward mobility.
2Cii. Describe how the RPU and regional partners will work together to identify
shared target populations and develop targeted service strategies
The one-stop delivery system provides the local boards and partners the framework to continue
and advance discussions of how workforce programs can be more effective, efficient, and
aligned. The regional partners recognize that the answers will only come when we step out of
our respective silos. The RPU and partner organizations have identified and are currently
addressing the needs of shared target populations that include English language learners, justice-
involved individuals, individuals with disabilities, Veterans, and disconnected and foster youth.
A recurring theme in our planning meetings was that organizations seeking to serve these
populations feel they would benefit from better linkages with other organizations doing the same
work or complementary work.
The RPU has regularly scheduled meetings to address service delivery and performance for all
but one of these targeted groups, English language learners. During the regional planning
meetings, the local boards and partners shared promising practices to address English language
learners’ specific challenges. The group discussed two distinct subcategories, those with low
skills and education and those with higher skills and educational degrees from other countries.
The RPU and partners made commitments to reconvene to discuss how we can collectively
improve service delivery to English language learners and determine if other populations warrant
different workforce development strategies to serve them more effectively.
2 Ciii . Describe how the RPU and regional partners will work with employers and
training providers to ensure that historically unserved and underserved
communities have equal access to the regional sector pathways, earn and learn
opportunities, supportive services, and other approaches identified by the RPU. This
should include whether the RPU has, or plans to develop, a formal policy related to
equity.
The RPU and regional partners will ensure historically unserved and underserved populations
have equal access to regional sector career pathways and other services and support through
sector partnerships. Through sector partnership work, the RPU and partners will have the
opportunity to work with employers to create career pathways that help mitigate the many
challenges unserved and underserved populations face in completing educational goals and
EXHIBIT 1
moving into employment with family-sustaining wages. Workforce development programs and
supports should not be designed as a one-size-fits-all solution. The populations we serve are
diverse, and program designs should reflect this diversity if we are going to close the skills gap
and combat economic inequality. Career pathways are a service-delivery model that can close
achievement gaps and advance racial equity by helping individuals build skills over time. Career
pathways are a long-term approach to serving individuals with limited basic skills or other
employment barriers that the local boards are committed to developing.
Sector partnership work will also provide an opportunity for the RPU to address issues such as
degree inflation that tend to exclude minorities from jobs during the hiring process. According
to Manjari Raman, director of Harvard Business School’s project on Managing the Future of Work,
degree inflation refers to jobs that historically required more than a high school diploma or less
than a college degree but now require a college degree 24. Explicitly requiring degrees for
positions instead of the jobs’ skills exacerbates the effect of racial disparities in educational
achievement and eliminates workers who may have acquired the skills in other ways. Also,
through sector partnership work, other hiring practices that disproportionately affect minorities,
such as automatically excluding potential employees using criminal background checks and credit
checks, can be discussed.
Another strategy that the sector partnerships will address is creating work-based learning
programs and pre-apprenticeship programs. Pre-apprenticeships can be valuable for people of
color who have been historically underrepresented in apprenticeships. Work-based learning
programs can provide vital formal access to employers that the population may not have had
when relying on their existing professional and social networks.
During the regional planning meetings, two general themes surfaced every session. One was
how some people lacked access to OC One-Stop services and the second issue was the lack of
digital literacy and access to broadband services. These are issues that the pandemic has
exacerbated. Attendees discussed how transportation and childcare needs, and a general lack of
understanding of the services available, contribute to preventing a large percentage of those
most in need of assistance from accessing them. The local boards recognize specific populations
require more outreach and require unique methods and strategies for locating, attracting, and
retaining their participation in workforce programs. The Orange County Board recently
purchased a mobile unit equipped with 12 computers inside and a monitor outside for
presentations. The mobile unit is accessible by wheelchair by using the wheelchair lift. The
mobile unit will serve as a mobile One-Stop Center for the Orange County community. During
the regional planning meetings, the local boards discussed options for deploying the mobile unit
to low-income communities, areas not close to a comprehensive One-Stop Center, and partner
locations to increase access and awareness of services. Also, the partners will explore developing
and using outreach and communication responsive to the targeted populations. The boards and
partner agencies will also explore additional referral agreements and referral processes with
24 Morgan, Kate. “'Degree Inflation': How the Four-Year Degree Became Required.” BBC Worklife, BBC, 28 Jan. 2021,
www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210126-degree-inflation-how-the-four-year-degree-became-
required#:~:text=Cornett%20is%20a%20victim%20of,Managing%20the%20Future%20of%20Work.
EXHIBIT 1
other organizations that can be engaged as partners to serve targeted people in their
communities. Disadvantaged and vulnerable populations need increased support services,
multiple service strategies, co-enrollment in additional programs, referrals to community service
providers, and a team approach to succeed in the labor market.
Broadband internet access is necessary for participants to complete enrollment applications,
financial aid applications, and work requirements. Job openings are now almost exclusively
accessible via the internet. Many job search websites are not fully accessible to mobile phone
users. The digital divide between people who have broadband internet access and those who
have no access or cell phone-only access is also a huge barrier to accessing post-secondary
education and entering the workforce. The RPU and regional partners have discussed the need
for partners to collectively address the digital divide and commit to convening a workgroup to
address this issue.
The RPU has had informal conversations on strategies to address issues related to equity. The
boards are committed to continuing the dialogue on regional equity issues and policy
development related to equity.
2D. ALIGNING, COORDINATING, AND INTEGRATING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
2Di . Describe any regional service strategies, including use of cooperative service
delivery agreements or MOU.
A cooperative service agreement has been established between the three local boards to solidify
the commitment to the overall workforce and economic development of the OC Region through
system alignment, integration of service delivery, and leverage/braiding of funding. The regional
boards have a very active and healthy partnership. Regional service strategies include:
• Improve and enhance customer experience by ensuring staff receives ongoing
professional development training and cross-training
• Meet the needs of employers by implementing and scaling career pathways
• Improve the quality of the workforce by improving alignment and partner connections
• Align investments in targeted populations and industry sectors
• Expand opportunities for employers and participants to engage in integrated learning
and work experience activities
• Sharing resources and braiding funds for tools and services that support the region as a
whole
2Dii.Describe any regional administrative cost arrangements, including the pooling
of funds for administrative costs for the region.
The three boards in the Orange County RPU collaborate on multiple projects, with one or the
other board acting as the fiscal agent. The RPU does not have any overarching arrangements or
intent to pool funds for administrative costs at this time.
EXHIBIT 1
Orange County RPU’s goal is to better align workforce services with economic development,
educational institutions, and business. The boards will consider administrative costs
arrangements if it allows the RPU to accomplish the objectives of the RPU more efficiently.
EXHIBIT 1
APPENDICES:
3A. STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Mode of Outreach Target of Outreach Summary of
Attendance
Comments
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
WIOA Core
Program
Partners
76 individuals
registered and 43
attended
The meeting was well
attended by
representatives from
several core partner
agencies. We had
representatives from
the local boards, adult
schools, community
colleges, conservation
corps, job corps,
community-based
organizations, and
housing authorities,
EDD.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
CalFresh
Employment
and Training Partners
38 individuals
registered and 27
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, Orange
County Social Services
Agency.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
Child Support
Services Partners
27 individuals
registered and 18
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, Orange
County Social Services
Agency.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
Competitive
Integrated
Employment Partners
34 individuals
registered and 28
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
ROP programs,
Goodwill Industry, City
of Irvine Disabilities,
and other community-
based organizations.
EXHIBIT 1
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
English
Language
Learners Partners
22 individuals
registered and 19
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, adult
schools.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
Re-Entry
Services Partners
40 individuals
registered and 24
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, State
Parole, Orange County
Sheriff, Mental Health
Services
Email, social media,
local board websites,
Eventbrite
Community at large,
Businesses, Chambers,
Core Partners
66 individuals
registered and 33
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, adult
schools, Veteran
Serving Organizations,
EDD, State of California
WSB.
EXHIBIT 1
3B. PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED THAT DISAGREE WITH THE REGIONAL PLAN
EXHIBIT 1
3C. SIGNATURE PAGE
ORANGE COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING UNIT
The regional plan represents the Orange Regional Planning Unit efforts to maximize and coordinate
resources available under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This regional plan,
inclusive of a unified local plan, is submitted for the period July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025, in
accordance with the provisions of WIOA.
LOCAL BOARD CHAIRS LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
ORANGE COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD COUNTY OF ORANGE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Signature Signature
Teri Hollingsworth Andrew Do
Name Name
Chair, Orange County Workforce Development
Board Chair, Orange County Board of Supervisors
Title Title
Date Date
ANAHEIM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD CITY OF ANAHEIM COUNCIL
Signature Signature
Joe Paquette Harry Sidhu
Name Name
Chair, Anaheim Workforce Development Board Mayor, City of Anaheim
Title Title
Date Date
SANTA ANA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD CITY OF SANTA ANA COUNCIL
Signature Signature
Stacey Sanchez Vicente Sarmiento
Name Name
Chair, Santa Ana Workforce Development
Board Mayor, City of Santa Ana
Title Title
Date Date
EXHIBIT 1
2021 - 2024
Unified Local Plan
ORANGE COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
SANTA ANA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
ANAHEIM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD
Orange County Workforce Development Board
Carma Lacy, 714-480-6420, carma.lacy@occr.ocgov.com
Santa Ana Workforce Development Board
Deborah Sanchez, 714-565-2621, DSanchez@santa-ana.org
Anaheim Workforce Development Board
Marco Lucero, (714) 765-4341, MLucero@anaheim.net
EXHIBIT 1A
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Local Plan Content ........................................................................................................................................ 1
2A. WIOA Core and Required Partner Coordination................................................................................. 1
2B. State Strategic Partner Coordination .................................................................................................. 5
2C. WIOA Title I Coordination ................................................................................................................... 9
Appendices: ................................................................................................................................................. 16
3A. Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary ....................................................................... 16
3B. Public comments received that disagree with the Local Plan ......................................................... 18
3C. Signature Page ................................................................................................................................. 19
EXHIBIT 1A
1
LOCAL PLAN CONTENT
2A. WIOA CORE AND REQUIRED PARTNER COORDINATION
2AI . How Local Boards and AJCC partners will coordinate the services and resources
identified in their MOU, as outlined in WSD18-12 - WIOA Memorandums of
Understanding.
The local boards and AJCC partners coordinate the delivery of services and resources described
in the local boards’ memorandums of understanding (MOU), which delineates each MOU
partner’s responsibilities when it comes to helping plan, develop, and implement the local AJCC
system. The MOU serves as a functional tool that outlines how the boards and AJCC partners
will work together to create a unified service delivery system that best meets their shared
customers’ needs. The MOU is reviewed and updated every three years, and the infrastructure
agreement and other system costs are reviewed annually.
Local boards hold AJCC partner meetings monthly, where each partner participates in helping
strengthen the partnership across programs and works to improve the system’s effectiveness
that meets local customers’ needs. Consistent recurring meetings allow the partners to review
performance, shared goals, and address issues that impact service delivery. Partner meetings
are also used to cross-train staff to maximize understanding of resources available in the AJCC
system. The local boards and partner organizations share the responsibility of providing
professional development training to staff.
Co-located partners are in the One-Stop Center, and they collaborate closely and avoid
duplication of services. Staff from partner agencies interface with clients as necessary and
support case managers in developing individual employment plans that may include partner
agency services. They also participate in general orientations, host client workshops, support
clients in the resource room, and support on-site hiring events.
Outreach efforts that support the AJCC programs are shared amongst partners. Partner agencies
promote each other’s programs to job seekers in the community to increase exposure to the
One-Stop Center services. AJCC partners also assist in staffing the One-Stop mobile unit to reach
a greater number of individuals out in the community. AJCC partners also coordinate employer
services that support the training and retention of a skilled workforce. Coordination involves
identifying and designing appropriate business and employment solutions, engaging businesses
in sector strategies, and participating in rapid response events. Partners also support the
promotion of work-based learning programs to the business community.
2AII. How the Local Board and AJCC partners will work towards co-enrollment
and/or common case management as a service delivery strategy, as outlined in
WSD19-09 - Strategic Co-Enrollment – Unified Plan Partners.
Local boards support the integration of service delivery within the AJCC system, including
strategic co-enrollment and common case management strategies. Local boards have strong
EXHIBIT 1A
2
partnerships with system partners committed to collaborating to increase service integration as
appropriate for the local area’s needs and for improving participant experiences. These practices
allow partners to leverage limited resources and eliminate duplication of services. Case
management is a shared responsibility amongst partners. CalJOBS is used to facilitate
communication between partners and document participant activities, outcomes, and referrals.
During intake, case managers determine if participants can benefit from being enrolled in more
than one partner program. The intake process includes participant’s authorization to release
information that allows sharing of information amongst partners. Co-located partners use a
common enrollment application that all partners can use to assess basic eligibility. System
partners are cross-trained and knowledgeable in the eligibility and program offerings of multiple
programs, allowing them to make appropriate referrals and helping participants navigate and
access resources across partner programs. In the community and stakeholder meetings, the local
boards have identified the following areas to improve integrated service delivery and a seamless
customer experience:
• Increase cross-training on WIOA programs and services to include community college and
adult school front-line staff.
• Regularly schedule cross-training sessions to ensure staff knowledge of partner programs
and services is current and new staff are trained.
• Improve bi-directional referral process between local boards and all system partners to
improve communication and outcome tracking:
o Increase CalJOBS referrals system usage by system partners or review other
systems recently adopted by partner agencies.
o Provide training to system partners on CalJOBS referrals.
• Provide system partners with CalJOBS referral training.
• Continue Orange County Leadership Council meetings but create working groups of
partner organizations to address system issues that impede a seamless customer
experience.
2AIII. How the Local Board and AJCC partners will facilitate access to services
provided through the one-stop delivery system, including in remote areas, through
the use of technology and other means.
In March of 2020, the local boards modified operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Santa
Ana and Orange County AJCC/One-Stop Centers are open for in-person (by appointment) and
virtual services. Anaheim provides phone and virtual services to clients and partners with the
Anaheim Central Library to support clients who need access to computers and additional in-
person support. The local boards have all made the necessary adjustments to continue
facilitating access to services provided through the One-Stop system, simultaneously ensuring
clients and staff remain safe.
EXHIBIT 1A
3
The local boards are committed to working with AJCC partners to identify strategies to increase
access during and after the pandemic. Hybrid and virtual methods utilized during the pandemic
may be incorporated in the service delivery model post-pandemic to support individuals who
prefer to access services without going into a One-Stop Center location. This delivery model can
help individuals who may have barriers such as transportation and childcare. However, a virtual
delivery model has also created obstacles for individuals who struggle with technology and do
not have access to a computer or broadband service.
Before the pandemic, Orange County Workforce Development Board started developing a
comprehensive virtual One-Stop Center and is still working to that end. The virtual One-Stop
Center delivery system will use a customized learning management system (LMS) that provides
the local boards and AJCC partners with a single system for the online delivery of services. The
LMS system will help jobseekers access job search assistance, training, and essential support
services from the safety of their homes. Also, employers may conduct virtual hiring events and
access AJCC support from virtually anywhere. The system provides an additional point of access
to Orange County residents, including those in remote areas, increasing overall access to services.
Currently, orientations, workshops, and rapid response events are delivered online. In some
cases, in-person classes are conducted with limited numbers of people. AJCC educational
partners are providing instruction online. During stakeholder meetings, some providers
expressed that they will likely continue with a blended training model that includes online and
in-person training. Some of the boards and AJCC partners have internet hotspots, laptops, and
Chrome books available for program participants to use. However, there is a greater need for
additional devices to support access. The boards continue to serve employers with modified
hiring events that include controlled on-site hiring events and virtual job fairs using the Premier
Virtual platform.
Lastly, Orange County has purchased a wheelchair-accessible mobile unit that will be a One-Stop
Center on wheels. The mobile unit has twelve computers and a monitor on the outside used for
outdoor orientations and workshops. It is available for the boards and system partners to use to
serve the community. The unit will be dispatched to community events, libraries, partner
agencies, and parks. It will also be used to outreach to targeted communities and reach remote
areas that are not near a comprehensive One-Stop Center.
2AIV. How the Local Board and AJCC partners will coordinate workforce and
education activities with the provision of appropriate supportive services.
The local boards have a supportive services policy that outlines resource and services
coordination. Supportive services provide participants with assistance like child care, bus passes,
gas cards or mileage reimbursement, work attire, occupational license fees, school supplies, and
work tools. These are some of the supportive services provided that enable an individual to
engage in WIOA career and training activities. Case managers work directly with clients to
address any barriers to participating in career or training services, including barriers that can be
mitigated through supportive services. If the case manager determines a need and supportive
services cannot be obtained through other programs, they can provide the support. In that case,
EXHIBIT 1A
4
a participant may receive the necessary support that would allow them to complete career or
training services successfully.
The local boards work with AJCC partners and other community organizations to identify support
services resources. The demand often exceeds the budgets of the local boards. Customers are
referred to other organizations to obtain such services before the boards’ limited support
services are expended. The resources that the boards are usually able to obtain through other
supporting organizations are clothing and food. The supportive services most needed are child
care, transportation assistance, and work attire.
2AV. How the Local Board and AJCC partners will comply with WIOA Section 188
and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 regarding
the physical and programmatic accessibility of facilities, programs and services,
technology, and materials for individuals with disabilities, as outlined in WSD17-01
- Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Procedures.
The Orange County, Santa Ana, and Anaheim Workforce Development Boards comply with WIOA
Section 188 and the applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. All
AJCC/One-Stop Centers are accessible and assistive technology is available for those who have a
physical, visual, or hearing impairment. The local boards and AJCCs ensure all locations meet ADA
requirements through the Biennial Local Area Self-Assessment checklist. The local boards also
ensure all eligible training providers meet the standards necessary to allow participants to access
training. The boards comply by following the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity
procedures outlined in WSD17-01. More specifically, the boards ensure the following:
• Contracts, cooperative agreements, job training plans, and policies and procedures
contain the nondiscrimination assurances
• The OC local AJCC/One-Stop Centers provide initial notice and continuing notice that it
does not discriminate by posting the required “Equal Opportunity is the Law” poster with
the EEO contact information for filing a complaint. Postings are in prominent places in the
centers and on the websites.
• The nondiscrimination information is provided during verbal presentations, including
participant’s orientations.
• Enrolled clients sign a nondiscrimination form, and it is maintained in the participant’s
file.
• All staff members are provided with nondiscrimination policy information and training
upon hire. Orange County repeats the training annually, and Santa Ana and Anaheim staff
repeat the training every two years.
• Program flyers and program communication contain an EEO and auxiliary aid and services
statement.
EXHIBIT 1A
5
2B. STATE STRATEGIC PARTNER COORDINATION
2BI . How the Local Board will coordinate with County Health and Human Services
Agencies and other local partners who serve individuals who access Cal Fresh E&T
services.
The boards and co-located AJCC partners will work with the Orange County Social Services Agency
(SSA) to improve labor market outcomes for all recipients of CalFresh, including but not limited
to participants in CalFresh Employment & Training services (CalFresh E&T). The Orange County
CalFresh E&T program participation is mandatory for individuals who receive general relief. The
general relief program provides temporary cash aid to eligible indigent adults without children.
The CalFresh E&T program is not currently available to other CalFresh recipients. CalFresh E&T
participants participated in work experience programs at worksites developed by SSA staff before
the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, SSA has relied on the Cell-Ed online program to support
CalFresh E&T program participants in obtaining their required 20 hours per month of job search
and training activities. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) partnered with Cell-
Ed to provide Welfare-to-Work and CalFresh E&T program participants with the opportunity to
receive education and training online to build skills and engage in eligible CalFresh participation
hours while sheltering-in-place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cell-Ed online services have
fulfilled an immediate program need during the pandemic.
The local boards provide priority service to recipients of public assistance referred to the centers.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the local boards were finalizing the program design and referral
process for CalFresh E&T participants. SSA requires tracking of participant attendance in staff
monitored job search and other WIOA program activities. Historically, AJCCs have not tracked
hours and attendance except for WIOA funded training programs. A process to track hours and
attendance was established but has not been used because of the AJCCs modified service delivery
during the pandemic.
To strengthen the partnership and improve outcomes for the target population, the boards and
SSA are committed to the following:
• Finalize the program and referral process and move forward with referrals to the AJCC for
those CalFresh E&T participants who elect to be served through the AJCC instead of the
Cell-Ed online platform.
• SSA will ensure CalFresh E&T participants who choose to utilize the Cell-Ed online
platform also receive AJCC service information so they can access a broader range of
employment services.
• Provide SSA front-line staff training on the programs and services available through the
One-Stop delivery system’s staff and partners.
• The boards, SSA, and community-based organizations will research program models and
discuss expanding the CalFresh E&T program to all CalFresh recipients by engaging
partners that can provide a non-federal match.
2B II. How the Local Board will coordinate with Local Child Support Agencies and
other local partners who serve individuals who are non-custodial parents.
EXHIBIT 1A
6
Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Orange County boards, co-located partners, and Department of Child
Support Services (DCSS) formal partnership arrangement was established during the WIOA local
plan modification process in 2018. A bi-directional referral and consent process was established
and is the current method used to refer non-custodial parents to the AJCC’s. After instituting the
partnership, the boards provided in-person and online training to 136 DCSS staff to ensure staff
members understood WIOA programs and the new referral process. In addition to the training
provided, the workforce board and DCSS managers met monthly to discuss program success and
improvement opportunities. The partners will continue to meet monthly to discuss opportunities
to improve the labor market outcomes of unemployed, underemployed, and payment-
delinquent non-custodial parents. The partnership has experienced a moderate level of success,
with 131 referrals to the AJCC. Of those non-custodial parents referred, 58% of them had driver’s
license holds released due to participation in the WIOA program.
To strengthen the partnership and improve outcomes for the target population, the boards and
DCSS are committed to the following:
• Grow participant referrals by focusing on outreach planning and new strategies to
promote the program to a broader population of non-custodial parents.
• AJCC staff will provide additional training to front-line DCSS staff on WIOA eligibility and
detailed program information.
• AJCC staff will work with DCSS staff to develop WIOA talking points for front-line DCSS
staff to discuss WIOA services with non-custodial parents.
• DCSS will train AJCC front-line staff on how to address concerns non-custodial parents
express about going to work. Training will include educating staff on DCSS’s goal not to
be a barrier to the non-custodial parent’s employment goals and the tools they have to
modify child support orders.
• AJCC will work with DCSS to develop a separate referral process for justice-involved non-
custodial parents to the prison to employment program.
• DCSS will start participating in the Orange County Leadership council bi-monthly meetings
so the partnership can develop a broader range of support and participation from other
community-based organizations and education providers.
• Board staff will explore additional options to provide workshops to non-custodial parents
who are English language learners. DCSS serves a large population of Spanish-speaking
and Vietnamese-speaking non-custodial parents who could benefit from career
workshops taught in their language. One-Stop Center staff currently offers language-
specific workshops one-on-one to individuals when necessary. The centers do not
currently have any group language-specific workshops.
2BIII. How the Local Board will coordinate with Local Partnership Agreement
partners, established in alignment with the Competitive Integrated Employment
EXHIBIT 1A
7
Blueprint, and other local partners who serve individuals with developmental and
intellectual disabilities.
Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is defined within the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA, 2014) as full-time or part-time work at minimum wage or higher, with
wages and benefits similar to those without disabilities performing the same work, and fully
integrated with co-workers without disabilities. The Act requires that states ensure employment
is offered as a priority outcome for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
In furthering the state and federal laws, programs that provide sheltered workshops are being
phased out and moving to competitive integrated employment, eliminating sub-minimum wage
jobs.
The Orange RPU boards coordinate workforce development services with local partnership
agreement partners and other local partners who serve individuals with developmental and
intellectual disabilities. The RPU board staff participate in the Orange County Local Partnership
Agreement meetings that include the education providers, Regional Center of Orange County,
Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) regions one and three, and other community-based
organizations. The partnership has created new employment and training opportunities that
align with WIOA and CIE Blueprint initiatives.
The latest employment and training programs include Addressing Barriers to Employment (ABE)
for adults and the STEPS to Employment (STEPS) programs for youth. Orange County Workforce
Development Board and Goodwill Industries of Orange County are the lead program partners.
The program gives Orange County region IDD students and adults facing challenges more
opportunities to achieve their greatest levels of personal and economic independence. Program
participants are provided opportunities to participate in soft skills training, vocational
preparation and social adjustment training (VPSA), work experience, and permanent placement
into competitive integrated employment. This program partnership is an excellent example of
partners working together and braiding funds to improve targeted populations’ outcomes. The
local boards and DOR also work together to engage employers in business engagement activities
such as chamber events, diversity job fairs, and other network business events. Another initiative
is training and development on resources for helping persons with disabilities better understand
their role in searching, obtaining, and retaining competitive, gainful employment. This course is
taught to front-line staff at the local One-Stop Centers and partner organizations that are a part
of the Orange County Leadership Council.
To strengthen the partnership and improve outcomes for the target population, the boards, DOR,
core partners, and community-based organizations are committed to the following:
• DOR will expand student services to the One-Stop Centers for eligible youth program
participants.
• DOR will provide local board front-line staff with cross-training and professional
development to ensure they understand DOR’s vast offerings.
EXHIBIT 1A
8
• Local boards and DOR will improve closing the loop on referrals and consider using the
CalJOBs referral system to provide referral feedback.
• Increase participant referrals by focusing on targeted outreach and identifying other
community-based organizations serving the target population.
2BIV. How the Local Board will coordinate with community-based organizations and
other local partners who serve individuals who are English language learners,
foreign-born, and/or refugees.
The local boards have a long-standing and effective partnership with the community colleges and
adult education partners in the Orange County region. The Rancho Santiago, South Orange
County Regional, North Orange County Regional, and Coast Consortiums serve a diverse
population of English language learners, foreign-born, and refugee students. The English
language learner, foreign-born, and refugee community and stakeholder meeting was well
attended by the OC educational providers and community-based organizations. The conversation
helped all parties gain insights and ideas on improving services and addressing gaps for the target
population.
To strengthen the partnership and improve outcomes for the target population, the boards,
educational providers, and community-based organizations are committed to the following:
• Local boards will look at the OC Leadership Council Meeting and determine if this meeting
should be reformatted. The board will consider hosting smaller workgroups to address
the targeted population’s needs.
• Local boards will work with the educational providers to develop a program plan to
improve support for individuals who have degrees from other countries that will:
o Reduce confusion by helping individuals navigate the process of obtaining college
transcript translation and course equivalency review by colleges, ensuring they do
not start from ground zero unnecessarily.
o Provide funding that individuals need to pay for transcript translation and review.
• Help the target population understand how their existing skills can be used in the
workplace and explore how work-based learning programs can support them in
demonstrating their skills and abilities while learning new skills on the job.
• Deploy the Orange County mobile One-Stop unit to the community colleges and adult
center locations to improve outreach and access for the communities that do not have a
comprehensive One-Stop close to them.
• Local boards will provide training to teachers and instructors on WIOA programs and
services.
EXHIBIT 1A
9
2C. WIOA TITLE I COORDINATION
2CI. Training and/or professional development that will be provided to front-line
staff to gain and expand proficiency in digital fluency and distance learning.
The onset of the pandemic and stay-at-home orders, has resulted in staff using more digital tools
out of necessity. These immediate changes have dictated that local boards move quickly, and
many of these tools were adopted by individual staff members with very little training or
direction. All staff members were required to use technology and were digitally literate before
the pandemic, and as they have engaged in immersive learning they are moving towards digital
fluency. The local boards have supported current efforts by providing an environment that allows
staff time for self-directed learning with online videos created for product use. Staff members
have taken the time to master products and delivered and produced training videos to help their
co-workers gain knowledge. Staff is encouraged to support each other in navigating new digital
tools.
As we advance, the local boards will add digital tools to the existing training and professional
development strategy. Digital fluency is a foundational aspect of productivity, which can enable
staff to perform more effectively. The local boards will work towards creating a culture of digital
fluency with increased training in this area. They will provide targeted assistance and training to
staff who need more help in adopting or contextualizing the use of digital tools within their job
duties.
2CII. Training and/or professional development that will be provided to front-line
staff to ensure cultural competencies and an understanding of the experiences of
trauma-exposed populations.
Staff training and professional development is a high priority for the local boards. The local
boards and AJCC partners work together to provide front-line staff training. The Orange RPU has
a training plan that includes a host of training, including cultural competence and trauma-
informed care. The Orange RPU has successfully collaborated with partners and other
organizations and leveraged training in the region. Any training hosted by the local board is open
to partner staff and organizations in the Orange County Leadership Council.
2CIII. How the Local Board will coordinate workforce investment activities carried
out in the Local Area with statewide rapid response activities, as outlined in
WSD16-04 - Rapid Response and Layoff Aversion Activities.
The Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Orange County Workforce Development Boards continue to
support stateside rapid response activities by providing rapid response and layoff aversion
services to businesses and outplacement services to dislocated workers in the region. Rapid
Response teams offer services to employers and workers affected by layoffs and mass closures
in the Orange County region. The rapid response team is made aware of large layoffs through
California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) system. Local boards also
receive notice of smaller layoffs from AJCC partners, chambers of commerce, industry association
meetings, and news outlets.
EXHIBIT 1A
10
The rapid response team includes the local board, Employment Development Department, and
other educational and community-based organization staff. Local board staff are responsible for
making initial and follow-up contact with employers and coordinating with partner agencies to
organize rapid response events. The three regional boards coordinate rapid response events
when a large regional employer has notified them of a mass layoff that affects residents
throughout Orange County. The board rapid response teams convene regularly and have
developed a common rapid response presentation that ensures the boards’ teams deliver a
consistent message throughout the county. The boards’ rapid response teams also participate
in the Southern California Rapid Response Roundtable meetings.
Local boards also assist businesses that are at risk of laying off employees with layoff aversion
services. The boards receive businesses’ referrals and use the Econovue system to identify at-
risk companies for targeted layoff aversion services. Rapid response and layoff aversion services
include:
• Online or on-site outplacement services for affected workers
• Coordination with Employment Development Department on Trade Adjustment
Assistance and Work Sharing programs
• Customized training or Incumbent worker training
• Conducting individual needs assessment of companies “business retention” needs
• Assistance with securing tax credits, incentives, and cost containment programs
• Coordination of utility and technology services
• Assistance in accessing public financing programs (local, state, and federal) and Industrial
Development Bonds
• Identification of traditional financing opportunities
• Assistance with obtaining Employment and Training Panel (ETP) funding to assist in
upgrading the skills of existing workers
• Coordinating with educational and job training institutions to satisfy the precise skills
needs of one or more businesses
Outplacement services for workers that have been affected by a layoff are provided to workers.
Affected workers are made aware of these services through online and on-site rapid response
events. The rapid response teams support laid-off workers in quickly accessing resources such
as unemployment, health insurance, and rollovers for retirement plans. Also, laid-off workers
are provided information on WIOA funded career and training services.
2CIV. A description and assessment of the type and availability of adult and
dislocated worker employment and training activities in the Local Area. This
includes how the Local Board will ensure that priority for adult career and training
EXHIBIT 1A
11
services will be given to recipients of public assistance, other low-income
individuals, and individuals who are basic skills deficient, as outlined in WSD15-14 -
WIOA Adult Program Priority of Service.
The adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities offered through the AJCC
One-Stop system is a comprehensive array of employment services that includes career
workshops, classroom training, on-the-job training, and transitional job opportunities. The
following is a more detailed description of the program’s services that are offered through local
boards:
• Comprehensive Employment Services: Career counseling and tools for job search
preparation include training referrals, job listings, resume preparation assistance,
interview workshops, access to on-site employer recruitments, and labor market
information.
• Career Pathway Programs: Career pathway programs have a clear sequence, or pathway,
of education coursework and may include stackable training credentials aligned with
employer-validated work readiness standards and skills. AJCCs offers programs that
include a full range of post-secondary education options that may involve attending
programs at local adult education, community colleges, and private educational
institutions. As appropriate for the individual, Career pathway programs combine
occupational skills training with adult education services, give credit for prior learning,
and adopt other strategies that accelerate the participant’s educational and career
advancement.
• On-the-Job Training Program: Each of the One-Stop career centers offers on-the-job
training (OJT) for job seekers whose occupational interests or learning styles are best
suited to work-based learning. The OJT program is a work-based learning program where
the company provides training based on their specific needs.
• Collaboration with Apprenticeship Programs: Santiago Canyon Community College (SCC)
is one of the leading community colleges in Orange County that offers apprenticeship and
journeyman training in various trades. The local boards make referrals to SCC for
apprenticeship programs. The local councils plan to work closer with SCC to explore
additional partnership opportunities for pre-apprenticeship programs.
The local boards have policies and adhere to the requirements of priority of service. Priority is
given to veterans (and spouses), recipients of public assistance, other low-income individuals,
and individuals who are basic skills deficient. Priority of service is established during intake and
eligibility. AJCC operators’ staff have been trained on the priority of service requirements, and
the priority status is documented in CalJOBS. AJCC partners are informed of the local board
priority of service policy, and they assist in referring individuals that meet the priority of service
criteria.
2CV. A description and assessment of the type and availability of youth workforce
investment activities in the Local Area, as outlined in WSD17-07- WIOA Youth
Program Requirements. This includes any strategies the Local Board has on how to
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increase the digital literacy and fluency of youth participants, including youth with
disabilities.
The local boards serve eligible in-school and out-of-school youth through contracted service
providers and partner organizations, assisting them in their career and educational development.
The program for youth includes the following fourteen required WIOA program elements:
1. Tutoring, study skills training, instruction, and evidence-based dropout prevention and
recovery strategies
2. Alternative secondary school services, or dropout recovery services, as appropriate
3. Paid & unpaid work experiences with academic and occupational education as a
component of the work experience
4. Occupational skills training
5. Education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation
activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster
6. Leadership development opportunities
7. Supportive services
8. Adult mentoring
9. Follow-up services for no less than 12 months after the completion of participation
10. Comprehensive guidance and counseling
11. Financial literacy education
12. Entrepreneurial skills training
13. Services that provide labor market and employment information about in-demand
industry sectors or occupations available in Orange County
14. Activities that help youth prepare for and transition to post-secondary education and
training
The following WIOA youth services are available in the Orange County region:
Case Management
Case managers provide youth with guidance, support, and motivation while enrolled in the
program and working towards education, training, and employment goals. Case managers work
with youth to develop an Individual Service Plan (ISP), which identifies the employment goals and
the comprehensive services strategy provided to the participant by the One-Stop Center and
AJCC partner agencies. Case managers maintain contact with the participant and monitor their
progress toward achieving goals in the ISP. If necessary, the case manager modifies the ISP in
response to the participant’s progress. The case manager also coordinates services with other
AJCC partners that are part of the youth’s comprehensive service strategy.
Work Experience
The local boards and AJCC partners provide work experience opportunities for youth to gain
workplace skills. Work experience may be a paid or unpaid activity. Work experience is a
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planned, structured learning experience in a workplace for a limited time. Youth may be placed
at a private for-profit sector, non-profit sector, or public sector worksite. Youth work experiences
opportunities include:
• Pre-apprenticeship programs
• Summer employment and other employment activities available throughout the school
year
• Internships and job shadowing
• On-the-job Training
Through the Orange County Workforce Development Board, OC youth can participate in earn and
learn programs such as Youth with Impact. The Youth with Impact program is a live, online mini-
MBA program that equips participants with entrepreneurship skills, confidence, and business
knowledge.
Job readiness training
Local boards and AJCC partners provide youth with opportunities to gain employability skills or
job readiness training to prepare youth for employment or work experience opportunities. Youth
gain these skills through structured activities and workshops.
Occupational skills training
Short-term occupational skills training is a program activity that may be offered to youth
participants. Occupational skills training programs provide specific vocational skills and must
lead to an industry-recognized certificate.
Educational services
Local boards and AJCC partners provide educational services that include tutoring, basic
education skills training, ESL training, and instruction that leads to a high school diploma or its
equivalent.
Support Services
Youth are provided support services when necessary to support their participation in other WIOA
activities. Supportive services include but are not limited to linkages to community services,
transportation assistance, child care assistance, and work-attire and work-related tools.
Digital Literacy for youth
Since the onset of the pandemic, youth services have moved to an online service delivery model.
Youth participants have adapted to the online model with youth providers’ support and have
been learning through immersion. Over the past couple of years, the local boards have been
working to strengthen the collaboration with the Anaheim Public Library and the Orange County
Public Library system. The local boards have leaned on their library partners to support
workforce development services through their offerings, including digital literacy programming,
computer classes, online homework assistance through Brainfuse Help Now, resume assistance
and career coaching through Brainfuse Job Now, and dropout recovery programming for youth
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and adults. AJCC staff also connect youth to the adult education and community college non-
credit programs which provide digital literacy programming.
2CVI. The entity responsible for the disbursal of grant funds as determined by the
Chief Elected Official or the Governor, and the competitive process that will be used
to award the sub-grants and contracts for WIOA Title I activities.
The Orange County Workforce Development Board is designated by the Orange County Board of
Supervisors, chief local elected official, to serve as the local board and as the fiscal agent
responsible for grant funds’ disbursal. Similarly, the City of Santa Ana serves as the Santa Ana
Workforce Development Board’s fiscal agent and bears responsibility for grant funds’ disbursal.
The City of Anaheim serves as Anaheim’s Workforce Development Board’s fiscal agent and bears
responsibility for grant funds’ disbursal.
The competitive procurement process used to award sub-grants and contracts for WIOA Title I
activities depends on the award amounts. The local boards follow the competitive procurement
processes of their respective fiscal agents and board procurement policies. These written policies
adhere to state and federal procurement regulations. Also, the local boards follow EDD directives
WSD17-08 related to the procurement of equipment and related services.
2CVII. A description of how the Local Board fulfills the duties of the AJCC Operator
and/or the Career Services Provider as outlined in WSD19-13 - Selection of AJCC
Operators and Career Services Providers. This should include the name(s) and
role(s) of any entities that the Local Board contracts with.
Consistent with WSD19-13 for Selection of AJCC Operators and Career Services Providers, AJCC
operators and career services providers were selected for the local boards through an open and
competitive procurement process.
The following are the names and roles of the entities each board has a contractual relationship
with:
Local Board Provider Role
Orange County
America Works One-Stop Operator
Managed Career Solutions Career Services
City of La Habra Youth Services Ready. Set. OC Program
Goodwill Industries of Orange
County
Youth Services for in-school youth with
disabilities
Anaheim
ProPath One-Stop Operator
Hope Builders Youth Services
Orange County Conservation Corps Youth Services
Santa Ana
Orange County Children’s
Therapeutic Arts Center Youth Services
Project Kinship Youth Services
Orange County Conservation Corps Youth Services
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APPENDICES:
3A. STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY
Mode of Outreach Target of Outreach Summary of
Attendance
Comments
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
WIOA Core
Program
Partners
76 individuals
registered and 43
attended
The meeting was well
attended by
representatives from
several core partner
agencies. We had
representatives from
the local boards, adult
schools, community
colleges, conservation
corps, job corps,
community-based
organizations, and
housing authorities,
EDD.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
CalFresh
Employment
and Training Partners
38 individuals
registered and 27
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, Orange
County Social Services
Agency.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
Child Support
Services Partners
27 individuals
registered and 18
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, Orange
County Social Services
Agency.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
Competitive
Integrated
Employment Partners
34 individuals
registered and 28
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
ROP programs,
Goodwill Industry, City
of Irvine Disabilities,
and other community-
based organizations.
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17
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
English
Language
Learners Partners
22 individuals
registered and 19
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, adult
schools.
Email, phone, social
media, local board
websites, Eventbrite
Re-Entry
Services Partners
40 individuals
registered and 24
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, State
Parole, Orange County
Sheriff, Mental Health
Services
Email, social media,
local board websites,
Eventbrite
Community at large,
Businesses, Chambers,
Core Partners
66 individuals
registered and 33
attended
The meeting was
attended by
representatives from
the local boards,
community colleges,
community-based
organizations, adult
schools, Veteran
Serving Organizations,
EDD, State of California
WSB.
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3B. PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED THAT DISAGREE WITH THE LOCAL PLAN
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3C. SIGNATURE PAGE
ORANGE COUNTY UNIFIED LOCAL PLAN
The unified local plan represents the Orange Regional Planning Unit efforts to maximize and coordinate
resources available under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. This unified local plan
is submitted for the period July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025, in accordance with the provisions of WIOA.
LOCAL BOARD CHAIRS LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
ORANGE COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD COUNTY OF ORANGE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Signature Signature
Teri Hollingsworth Andrew Do
Name Name
Chair, Orange County Workforce Development
Board Chair, Orange County Board of Supervisors
Title Title
Date Date
ANAHEIM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD CITY OF ANAHEIM COUNCIL
Signature Signature
Joe Paquette Harry Sidhu
Name Name
Chair, Anaheim Workforce Development Board Mayor, City of Anaheim
Title Title
Date Date
SANTA ANA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD CITY OF SANTA ANA COUNCIL
Signature Signature
Stacey Sanchez Vicente Sarmiento
Name Name
Chair, Santa Ana Workforce Development
Board Mayor, City of Santa Ana
Title Title
Date Date
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