Workers install materials on a wall at Aptos Village Phase 2 in March 2024. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local)

Construction jobs grew in Santa Cruz County from 2020 to 2022 and remain in demand. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)

SANTA CRUZ >> To better understand the needs of Santa Cruz County workers and employers, the county’s Workforce Development Board plans to host forums in January and February as it shapes a five-year strategic plan.  

Preparing residents for jobs that can contend with the area’s high cost of living is part of the goal. The board wants input from job seekers, business owners, educators, union leaders, youths and others.

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“Our strategic planning isn’t just about creating a document, it’s about understanding the real struggles job seekers face and the skills employers need,” wrote Andy Stone, the board’s director, in a statement. “By bringing these voices together, we can design a workforce system that actually works for everyone in our community.”

The board convenes business owners and community leaders to support workers to develop skills and find jobs. It also helps businesses find and train employees, tracks economic and demographic trends in the county and strategizes to try to meet the needs of workers and employers. 

The 2025-2030 Strategic Visions Plan will guide the prioritization of workforce development in the county including outreach, education, training and apprenticeships, wrote Adam Spickler, a senior analyst for the county’s Human Services Department. 

It aims to be a roadmap for workforce development in the county by “identifying the challenges local job seekers and employers face and what opportunities they seek,” Spickler wrote.

Health care and biotechnology

Emerging industries such as biotechnology, transportation and manufacturing led increases in higher-paid jobs in the county in recent years, according to a 2024 State of the Workforce report.

  • Employment in Santa Cruz County has recovered from the COVID pandemic more slowly than the state average, according to the workforce report. 
  • Low-skill, low-paid jobs also increased in the county from 2021 to 2023.
  • More health care jobs are expected in the coming years as Santa Cruz County’s population trends older, according to the report.

“The aging of the county’s population poses significant challenges for the county’s economy and workforce in the years to come,” the report stated. “It may contribute to potential shortages of skilled workers in the future.”

Strategic plan forums

The workforce board’s forums will be in English and include Spanish interpretation. Participants are encouraged to attend the session that best aligns with their experience.

  • Community-based organizations
    • 9-10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 30.
    • Career Center Classroom, 500 Westridge Drive, Watsonville.
  • Education and training partners
    • 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30.
    • Career Center Classroom, 500 Westridge Drive, Watsonville.
  • Employers
  • Individuals with disabilities
    • 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11.
    • Department of Rehabilitation, 1350 41st Ave., Suite 101, Capitola.
  • Mandated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act partners
    • 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12.
    • Virtual on Teams.
  • Youth
    • 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12.
    • Sequoia School, 229 Green Valley Road, Freedom.
  • General community
    • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13.
    • Career Center Classroom, 500 Westridge Drive, Watsonville.
  • General community
    • 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13.
    • London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Room 1, Santa Cruz.
  • Veterans 
    • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20.
    • Career Center Classroom, 500 Westridge Drive, Watsonville.
  • Veterans
    • 5-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20.
    • London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Room 1, Santa Cruz.

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Nik Altenberg is a copy editor and fact checker at Santa Cruz Local. Altenberg grew up in Santa Cruz and holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Latinx Studies from UC Santa Cruz.