For more information:

Michelle Geller 760-429-5091 or [email protected]

CITY OF OCEANSIDE LAUNCHES HIRE LOCAL INITIATIVE AS GATEWAY FOR IN-DEMAND JOBS

Partnership with Mira Costa College helps Oceanside residents upskill and earn tuition-free certificates through December, 2020 (Oceanside, CA –July 7, 2020)

The City of Oceanside announced the launch of its Hire Local initiative, designed to stimulate economic vitality for local residents and businesses through a combination of Incentives, Development, Education, and Access (IDEA). Through this initiative, the City is working to bridge the gap between in-demand jobs and resident readiness to accelerate professional and business growth and create an economic multiplier for the City. Research shows that bridging the economic gap is enhanced with access to education and employment. The City identified a federal grant awarded to Mira Costa college that provides free tuition for a wide range of certificate programs.

The City conducted a Needs Assessment with local businesses and discovered a set of high-demand jobs that have been hard to fill because talent is not ready on day one and on the job training slows productivity. The City then worked with the College to narrow the scope of eligible certificates for its Hire Local initiative to seven certificate programs that will help students be valuable contributors for hiring companies on day one. “With the unprecedented social and economic challenges experienced this year, we feel there’s an opportunity and obligation to align City resources and to do so with a sense of urgency to make sure our residents can access these valuable certificate programs before the grant expires,” said Economic Development Manager, Michelle Geller. “Our team is uniquely capable of connecting resources that can stimulate economic empowerment for residents and businesses and we’re demonstrating our values and commitment through our Hire Local IDEA.”

The City is absorbing the College’s administrative costs to eliminate any financial barriers to building a strong talent pool that local businesses are seeking. Given that eligible students and employers are both local to Oceanside, the dollars being invested upfront by the City will most likely be reinvested back into the community. “I am heartened by the approach the City of Oceanside is taking in the delivery of education opportunities for its residents,” said Linda Kurokawa, Executive Director, Community Education & Workforce Development for Mira Costa College. “I hope more municipalities look to partner with educational institutions like ours to facilitate economic development opportunities through education.” The City has also allocated a $20,000 bonus pool for graduates who are hired by a participating local company and complete six months of successful employment. The City intends to raise awareness about the initiative to garner interest from more companies and residents, especially hard to reach populations, by reaching out to business and trade organizations, high schools, houses of worship and other community-based organizations.

If you would like to schedule an interview with Michelle Geller, Economic Development Manager, please call Crystal Sargent at 858-472-3682 or email: [email protected].

About the City of Oceanside The City of Oceanside’s economic development mission is to ensure the financial stability of the City by assisting users, developers, and brokers with business relocation, business expansion and improvements that create new employment opportunities and increased investment in the City and market Oceanside as a regional visitor’s destination.

The City’s Economic Development focuses on: Creating new quality jobs through business retention and expansion of existing businesses and recruit and assist new prospective businesses to the City; Assisting new prospective retail stores and restaurants; Increasing tourism market share principally through new hotels, and work with Visit Oceanside, Welcome Center, Oceanside Tourism Council (OTC) and the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce to market Oceanside as a tourism destination; and Marketing and Public Relations to assure awareness of Oceanside as a great place to do business. For more information please visit the City of Oceanside’s Economic Development site at: www.osidebiz.com; phone: (760) 435-3352 or email at: [email protected].