E-News

MCWDB Releases July/August 2020 Newsletter

The Monterey County Workforce Development Board staff have been very busy working on several important projects, including the Monterey County Works initiatives, a new High-Road Construction Careers Pre-Apprenticeship Program, small business support services, and much more! Read more…

COVID-19 Community News – June 5, 2020

For the last three months, we have been joined together in solidarity against a previously unknown enemy: COVID-19. We’ve sheltered in solidarity, worked in solidarity, and donned masks to protect others. We did it for health. We did it to save lives. We did it together. Read more…

A Guide To Thriving In The Post-COVID-19 Workplace

The pandemic has accelerated the need to ensure that people around the globe have the necessary technology skills and access to do their jobs. Even as China shows signs of recovery and the number of new daily infections worldwide appears to have stabilized, the US has seen an unprecedented number of people file for unemployment, and 57% of Americans surveyed recently report feeling worried about losing their jobs.. Read more…

‘Puro Cash’: Latinos are Opening More Small Businesses Than Anyone Else in the U.S.

The USA TODAY Network series Hecho en USA, or made in America, focuses on the nation’s growing Latino community. Roughly 80% of all Latinos living in the U.S. are American citizens, but media coverage of Hispanics tends to focus on immigration and crime, instead of how Latino families live, work and learn in their hometowns. Hecho en USA tells the stories of the nation’s 59.9 million Latinos – a growing economic and cultural force, many of whom are born in the U.S. Read more…

2019 Research Report: State of Latino Entrepreneurship

For the past five years, the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative has collected survey data from Latino-owned businesses across the country to provide an updated account of the latest trends in Latino entrepreneurship in the United States. For the past two years, we have also simultaneously created a research panel of over 1,000 Latino business owners that will provide insights on the growth and experiences of individual businesses over time. This year, we report results on a cumulative sample of approximately 5,000 1 Latino business owners. Additionally, we explore a longitudinal aspect of the data from businesses that report their revenue from the past 12 months in addition to their revenues from two and five years ago. This allows us to track historical growth for the businesses in our sample. Read more…

Video Interviews Are Here To Stay: How To Prepare For Your Debut

From Snapchat to Facebook Live, video is hot. So, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are turning to video to help with recruiting. The traditional resume-cover letter one-two punch is being replaced with the video interview. And, it’s easy to see why. Read more…

How Immigrant Workers are Preparing for Automation in Agriculture

Inside Taylor Farms’ massive, 120,000-square-foot warehouse in Salinas, California, millions of pounds of lettuce, cabbage and spinach are processed each day. It’s loud, and the temperature is kept at 35 degrees, so workers wear earmuffs and multiple layers of clothing. Vegetables from nearby fields are sent here to get chopped, washed, dried and packaged. When they’re ready for packing, a yellow robotic arm called a Quik Pick & Pack uses suction to pick up a 5-lb bag of greens and carefully place it in a box with the help of cameras and sensors. This job used to be done by humans. Read more…

Manufacturing Day: Recognizing Manufacturing’s Impact on the US Economy

Manufacturing Day is held annually on the first Friday in October to celebrate this important sector of the nation’s economy. The U.S. Census Bureau joins the celebration by providing a week’s worth of rich content, including statistics that inform businesses and policymakers. Collectively, the data paint a picture of the state of this vital economic sector. One of the goals of Manufacturing Day is to encourage thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers, and community leaders. Read more…

Training Grants Available to Upskill Your Workers and Make Your Company More Competitive

The Monterey County Workforce Development Board is offering training grants to Monterey County employers wanting to upskill their seasoned (incumbent) workers. These grants, provided through our Incumbent Worker Training Program, can help qualifying firms to upgrade the skills of existing employees to help the business remain competitive, increase profits, and support the growth of the business. Read more…

Is On-The-Job Training (OJT) Right for Your Business?

Our On-the-Job Training Program (OJT) is a “hire-first” program that reimburses a company for the cost of training a new employee. This program is provided at no cost to the business. Companies can use OJTs to hire and train promising job candidates who have some – but not all – of the skills necessary for the job. Read more…

Workforce Services Will Support Your Business, in Good and Bad Times, Without Fees

Whether you’re affiliated with a major industry, a medium-sized firm or a small company, it takes time, effort, and expense to run a business. Workforce services can be used strategically during the course of the business cycle to provide needed entry-level workers and to upskill seasoned employees to make your company more competitive. Read more…

Focus: Tourism & Hospitality

Known worldwide for its scenic beauty and majestic coastlines, Monterey County’s Hospitality and Tourism industry draws thousands of international and domestic visitors who contribute over $2.5 Billion to benefit the local economy. While the Monterey region is considered a strong visitor destination, it faces some formidable workforce challenges. We will present some of the efforts and resources being brought to bear to address these challenges. Read more…

Focus: Agriculture

Monterey County’s number one industry, Agriculture, generates an estimated economic contribution of $8.1 billion dollars annually to the local economy when viewed through the wider economic contributions of local food processing, employment, and economic multiplier effects. What is the future of the Agricultural industry? Where will the jobs and workforce come from? And, what issues are of concern to the industry? Read more…