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Workforce Development Updates
STUDENTS SEE THEMSELVES IN LOCAL JOBS THROUGH SOCAL PROJECT
The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce recently spent the day with several professionals from the city’s Water Utilities department interviewing them on camera about their careers for the SOCAL (Student Opportunities for Career Awareness and Learning) project. The shoot was coordinated by Michael Newton, a Navy veteran and Management Analyst for the City of Oceanside. At the San Luis Rey Wastewater Treatment Plant, the team, filmed by chamber member Chris Ryan, featured Carlos Raymundo, Instrumentation Technician II; Mario Lopez, Water Utilities Plant Electrician I; Ryan Williams, Plant Maintenance Supervisor; and Daniel Parker, Wastewater Plant Operator III. At the City Operations Center, Utility Worker II Jonathan Monterroza, was interviewed. The day-long video shoot concluded with an interview with Annika Andersen, Environmental Specialist II. “I never have the same day twice,” Williams says. Raymundo agreed. He explained that he got his career start in classes in his Regional Occupational Program in high school. Businesses looking to partner with the Oceanside Unified School District’s Career and Technical Education program may be pleased to know there are pathways to careers not only at the water department, but in several other professions. Contact Coordinator Teresa Collis at https://www.oside.us/pathways. The SOCAL project is a collaborative program between education and industry created by TriCity Medical Center, the San Diego North Economic Development Council and the Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista Chambers of Commerce. The vision is to give middle school, high school, post-secondary students and transitioning adults an opportunity to gain insights into career pathways, while allowing businesses and local organizations to participate in these students’ career exploration. We have recently featured the stories of Chamber members Olli Salumeria, Hydranautics, and Genentech at https:// socalworkforce.org/all-interviews/. We are pleased to offer a variety of packages to assist your business in both short-term and long-term workforce pipeline development. If you are interested in participating, contact victoria@oceansidechamber.com.
CHAMBER’S INCUBATOR PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT TO LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS
Women, especially military spouses and female veterans, were disproportionately impacted by the Pandemic, with many forced out of the workplace. Many women desire to make a career pivot. The National Veterans Chamber of Commerce, SCORE Mentors, and the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce have responded to this call to action by hosting a free business incubator program. The Women Entrepreneur Incubator program, which launched last fall via Zoom, is helping to train entrepreneurs to develop their part-time or full-time businesses in one of three tracks: Social Media Management Company, Virtual Assistant Company, and Business/Personal Coaching. The three organizations are providing training, technical assistance, mentorship, peer-to-peer support, and financial information.
We graduated our second incubator class Thursday, March 10th at the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. Each participant received certificates from the three program sponsors as well as from Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath. An added benefit of the incubator is that each entrepreneur receives in-person coaching and mentoring at the Oceanside Chamber’s office following the online training sessions. The next cohort begins April 21st. There are also plans to launch a youth-specific business incubator this summer and business attire donations are also needed for student mock interviews. For more information on participating as a business owner, program trainer, or event sponsor, contact victoria@oceansidechamber.com.
HIRE OR GET HIRED ON THE CHAMBER’S JOB BOARD
Member InterFaith Community Services, like nearly all of our members, are noticing the labor shortage. They are looking for social workers to prevent a disruption in services to the people who need it most in Oceanside and in North County, in general. They are offering incentives including a $500 retention bonus. Founded in 1979 in direct response to rising rates of hunger and homelessness in North San Diego County, Interfaith Community Services works to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness by Helping People Help Themselves. Interfaith is the most comprehensive social services agency in North County, providing both immediate safety net services and long-term, lifechanging programs designed to meet the holistic needs of people in crisis. Together, in partnership with 250+ diverse faith communities, more than 650 recurrent volunteers, and a growing staff of over 200, Interfaith provides a safe haven and pathway towards self-sufficiency for more than 17,000 community members annually. The social work position works with the Oceanside Housing Authority to provide direct services to homeless clients and recently housed individuals which include: intake, assessment and case management, and client advocacy (resources and referrals) with the goal of supporting client selfsufficiency and to support the mission of Interfaith Community Services. This position interacts with local service providers to coordinate client care and also interfaces with the Oceanside Police Department (POD) Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). This position works in collaboration with the HOT team and Housing Authority to implement and support the Oceanside Homeless Outreach program. The HOT team is a unique police outreach effort that connects homeless individuals with needed services in a focused effort to end homelessness. This position will work predominately with the Oceanside Housing Authority. Learn more at https://oceansidecacoc.mcjobboard.net/jobs/61028. The Oceanside Chamber’s Job Board includes a space for employers to list their open positions, job seekers to upload their resumes, and a space featuring helpful resources for applicants, businesses, and organizations. Job listings are an added member benefit. The success of the job board depends on you, the members, so please visit the page to add your open positions at www.oceansidecareers.com.
You’ve Been Thinking About Your Future. The Home Depot Is Too.
The Home Depot Is Proud To Invest In The Skilled Trades
There will be over 3.5 million jobs available in home improvement related trades in the next decade. That means you have unprecedented opportunities to land a rewarding, in-demand career and competitve salary.
Start your career on the right path with The Home Depot’s FREE training program. Upon completion of the Path to Pro Skills Program, graduates can create a profile on the Path to Pro Network that provides potential employers access to qualifications.
Program Benefits
• Free, virtual self-paced and instructor led training • Discover construction industry career options • Gain experience in basics such as jobsite safety, tools, team building and communication skills
High Demand Trades
Carpentry Electrical HVAC Plumbing
and Many More Trades
Classes Offered Weekly Visit PathtoPro.com/Training to Register today
In partnership with the Home Depot’s national program, a Trades coalition is forming at the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce. If you are interested in participating as an employer looking to build your talent pipeline or an educational stakeholder with access to job seekers, contact victoria@oceansidechamber.com.
TERI EXPANDS ITS INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
TERI (Training, Education & Resource Institute), a decades-old, Oceanside-based non-profit organization serving children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and a member of the Oceanside Chamber, last fall opened the Tom & Mary Tomlinson Vocational Center on its 20-acre Charles R. Cono TERI Campus of Life in San Marcos. The building is the second of eight additional centers to be built on site, following TERI’s Therapeutic Equestrian Center which was completed in 2015.
The new Vocational Center features a retail shop with a café. The retail shop, Sheri’s - A Unique Boutique, and Common Grounds Café and Coffee Bar provide vocational training to individuals with special needs. The building also serves as a community resource for local businesses and residents, offering space for meetings, clubs, and events. The kitchen and the adjacent farm will provide future workforce development training. CEO and Founder Cheryl Kilmer says, “To create a facility that is unique in the world and meets the holistic needs of developmentally disabled children and adults is humbling and exciting to say the least. TERI’s Campus of Life outreach will extend far beyond those whose own lives are directly enriched with its creation. Those individuals will then in turn share that impact with others, and those with others still, shining a light on abilities awareness, cultivating kindness, and believing in the individual potential within each of us.”
For more information on working with or for TERI or to book a meeting space, visit https://www.teriinc.org/.
A picture of the future plans of the TERI Campus of Life.
Samara White, Oceanside-based Community Relations Manager (right) visits with colleagues at the new Common Grounds Café and Coffee Bar on its vocational campus in San Marcos. Sheri’s – A Unique Boutique
