SLO County Office of Education

Recruitment and Retention

BY JAMES BRESCIA, ED.D. COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

This month’s article discusses the workforce shortage and local recruitment and retention. Previously I reported on how the educator shortage in California is worsening, with many school districts, charters, private schools, and parochial schools struggling to find enough high-quality employees to fill vacancies. A simple search of EDJOIN, the statewide online employment site for education, reflects 294,000 openings across the state of California and 357 in San Luis Obispo County. Our county is fortunate to have most of our positions staffed with highly qualified, dedicated, and service-minded employees. However, San Luis Obispo County struggles with more vacancies than applicants because of retirements, the low numbers of individuals entering the field, and high housing costs on the central coast. The shortage increases in specialty areas such as special education, medical services, fiscal services, trades, and administration. Additionally, the training pipeline for service professions such as education, public service, medicine, and the trades decreased over the last three decades while a large sector of the workforce (Baby Boomers) retired.

During this year’s Mid-State Fair, local labor unions invited me to join a roundtable discussion involving our Board of Supervisors, local elected officials, state officials, and congressional representatives. The luncheon discussion focused on the need for the entire community to engage in solutions that provide employment pathways for young people to remain in our county. The shortages of service-oriented employees in the trades, education, and public safety are of particular concern. At the roundtable talk, I shared our recruitment and retention partnerships with the Board of Supervisors, local trade unions, the Workforce Development Board, the Childcare Planning Council, local employers, and Cuesta College. These partnerships are funded by grants from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), our Career and Technical Education (CTE) Foundation, private donations, SLO Partners, and my office. The goals of the partnerships are to provide pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, scholarships, and training that supports, upskills, and grows a local workforce.

Carrie, a local participant, recently provided our team with an inspiring email update. “I hope this email finds you well, and it has been a while since I gave an update. I’m still working locally, and I plan on staying here for the foreseeable future! My professional and personal growth from when I started with SLO Partners to now has made a world of difference to the quality of my life. As such, I’m looking into renting a small industrial building, where my boyfriend and I will be setting up 3D printers, a CNC mill, a car lift, and more to pursue our personal goals.”

Testimonials from local participants speak to the power of providing our residents with opportunities to train, remain, and gain in the local economy.

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

- Alexander Graham Bell

When we provide work experience opportunities to ensure that residents have the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the workplace, we promote a sound, growing economy. I am committed to joining with local labor, Cuesta College, local businesses, and education partners in facilitating pathways and opportunities to serve local talent. Collaborative training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of potential employees without significant business or taxpayer expense. Current partnerships provide pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship grants that invest in professional development for our San Luis Obispo County residents. Education and business are joining forces to offer our local employees access to developing experiences and workforce preparation that leads to relevant employment in today’s COVID marketplace and beyond. Training includes technical skill sets and soft skills; providing a competitive edge for the employee and the employer.

Nationwide apprenticeships represent over 150,000 employers in more than 1,000 occupations.

Apprenticeships assist in developing the next generation of skilled labor to maintain our nation’s success in the 21st-century economy. These programs recruit and develop a highly-skilled workforce that helps grow local businesses, improve productivity, maintain business profitability, create flexible training platforms, minimize business liability, and increase local employment opportunities. In partnership with the board of supervisors, Cuesta College, SLO Partners, and the Workforce Development Board, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education is making a significant investment to leverage state funding. Together we are providing scholarships, funding direct training programs, and sponsoring apprenticeships for residents.

This summer marked the launch of direct support for local childcare agencies, early educator training scholarships, additional boot camps, youth workforce development, and multiple ongoing service sector training opportunities. Each of these endeavors creates a pathway to a median-income career allowing residents to remain and thrive in San Luis Obispo County. The San Luis Obispo County Office of Education website, the SLO Partners website, the Childcare Planning Council website, and the Workforce Development Board website contains information about access to educator scholarships, apprenticeships, workforce programs, SLO Partners, and other supports. It is an honor to serve as your county superintendent of schools. 