Category: News

A note on talent from Bree

By Bree Burris, Director, Marketing & Communications,

It’s not you—it’s all of us. 

The long talked about ‘war for talent’ is more competitive than ever, with established firms upending whole hiring systems to meet the demands of today’s applicants—and still, not getting enough. You are not alone; this is not a one-company problem. In our countless conversations with HR leaders and executives, it’s clear firms across industries and size are struggling to fill their open positions (EDC included).

In a survey of 200 local businesses, hiring difficulty reached a new high in December. That same month, local San Diego employers posted more than 158,000 unique jobs—nearly half of which were new positions and predominantly in STEM. And yet, there are just 61,000 people currently unemployed in the region.

Flexibility. Remote work. Mission. Culture. Inclusion. The pandemic flipped the script on workforce demands with companies across the country being stretched to meet the needs of prospective recruits. Established firms can’t compete with the benefits offered by startups from salary to signing bonus to equity. Startups can’t offer the structure or safety net available at large corporations. Yet San Diego is uniquely positioned to compete.

The region stands apart with its thousands of mission-driven companies, its unparalleled quality of life, and its collaborative ecosystem. These are the stories we tell in San Diego: Life. Changing., and the connections we drive through Advancing San Diego.

EDC can help:

  • Lean into the San Diego story in selling your business to recruits using these tools;
  • Engage with us to mold student curriculum to meet your industry needs;
  • Apply for interns paid for by EDC’s foundation;
  • And share your open roles for promotion across our channels.

And above all, turn inward to upskill and promote your existing workforce and consider rethinking existing job requirements which may be inadvertently excluding qualified San Diegans. Pandemic-induced challenges aren’t going away soon, and the battle for talent may endure, but with San Diego as your homebase, we’ve got you covered.

All my best—Bree

Bree Burris
Bree Burris

Sr. Director, Communications & Community Engagement

READ EDC’S MONTHLY REPORT

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – February 4, 2022

By Candela Delucchi,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of February 4, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some opportunities we’re watching:

EDC’s Report Card to the Community

On April 8, EDC will unveil data on the region’s collective progress towards the 2030 goals and hear commitments from government, academia, and community leaders to increasing the number of quality jobs, skilled talent, and thriving households as outlined in the Inclusive Growth Initiative. The event will include breakfast and networking at the Jackie Robinson YMCA.

Get Your Ticket

San Diego Biz Hub: Free digital services for small businesses

GoSite and EDC are still accepting applications for the San Diego Business Hub, which offers small, service-based businesses the full suite of GoSite products at no cost. Services include payment and invoicing, bookings, review management, customer communications, and template websites.

Apply Now

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

Meet our Advancing San Diego Preferred Providers of Life Sciences Talent

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Source your science talent from these edu programs…

Fueled by industries like Tech, Defense, and Life Sciences, San Diego’s innovation economy relies on a pipeline of diverse talent. However, local companies continue to cite access to quality talent as a persistent and growing challenge. Ninety-eight percent of firms in San Diego are small companies (<100 employees) that often lack time and resources to effectively compete for talent with their larger counterparts. Meanwhile, many San Diegans are disconnected from high-demand job opportunities, largely due to education requirements.

Made possible by JPMorgan Chase, Advancing San Diego is a demand-driven strategy to address talent shortages and remove barriers for small companies to access qualified workers. It is a collaborative effort between EDC, San Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association, San Diego Workforce Partnership, City of San Diego, and United Way of San Diego.

Over the last six months, Advancing San Diego partners worked with a group of 22 employers to develop skills-based criteria for Lab Technicians (aka Research Assistants). We asked that any education provider meeting that criteria apply for the Preferred Provider designation. An employer-led review panel then evaluated these applicants against the skills criteria to determine which programs should be designated as ‘Preferred Providers,’ recognized as those most effectively preparing individuals for jobs and internships as Lab Technicians.

EDC is eager to announce Preferred Providers of Life Sciences Talent:

Need science talent?

Advancing San Diego will select up to 20 high-growth Life Sciences companies in the region to host paid Lab Technician/Research Assistant interns, sourced from the above Preferred Provider programs, at no cost to the business. Selected companies will be asked to host two interns for 240 hours each during the Summer 2022. Interns will be paid through Advancing San Diego, and have access to additional funds to support their success in the workplace. Apply here—applications close February 14.

Sign up to receive updates on Advancing San Diego

For more information, visit AdvancingSD.org.

Other posts you might like:

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – January 28, 2022

By Candela Delucchi,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of January 28, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some opportunities we’re watching:

San Diego’s Data Bites: January 2022

Presented by Meyers Nave, this edition of San Diego’s Data Bites covers December 2021, with data on employment, housing, and more insights about the region’s economy. Key takeaways include unemployment rate drop and record venture capital funding propelling job growth.

Dig In

San Diego Biz Hub: Free digital services for small businesses

GoSite and EDC are still accepting applications for the San Diego Business Hub, which offers small, service-based businesses the full suite of GoSite products at no cost. SDbizhub.com is seeking applications from minority-, women-, veteran- and other historically economically under-resourced small business owners throughout San Diego County.

Apply Now

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – January 21, 2022

By Candela Delucchi,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of January 21, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some opportunities we’re watching:

San Diego Biz Hub: Free digital services for small businesses

GoSite and EDC are still accepting applications for the San Diego Business Hub, which offers small, service-based businesses the full suite of GoSite products at no cost. SDbizhub.com is seeking applications from minority-, women-, veteran- and other historically economically under-resourced small business owners throughout San Diego County.

Apply Now

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – January 14, 2022

By Candela Delucchi,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of January 14, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some opportunities we’re watching:

Save the date: EDC’s Annual Dinner

Save the date for EDC’s Annual Dinner 2022, which will again gather more than 900 business and community leaders for a night of celebration of our organization and region on June 9 in iconic Petco Park. Stay tuned for registration, program details, and award updates.

Interested in sponsoring? Contact Jennifer Storm.

Read More

EDC is hiring, join our team!

EDC is hiring a Research Manager / Sr. Manager with 3+ years of experience to analyze, synthesize, and visualize data to inform a diverse set of stakeholders and senior professionals from the region’s leading companies, nonprofits, and policy makers. EDC is also accepting applications for its Marketing and Communications internship.

Apply Now

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

A note from Dr. Clarke

By Nikia Clarke, Senior Vice President,

Goals for 2022

Like we do every year, our team spent the last few months of 2021 working with EDC’s executive committee, board, and investors to establish annual goals that are informed by current economic realities, led by employers, and have measurable outcomes that contribute to prosperity and competitiveness across the binational region. As San Diego emerges from a global pandemic to an economy full of contradictions—strong job growth, eye-watering VC numbers, and massive capital investment as well as widespread labor shortages, small business closures, and housing prices almost 30 percent higher than 2019—it is abundantly clear that smart economic development is inclusive economic development.

In 2021, EDC reframed our organizational goals around these fundamental building blocks of a strong economy—quality jobs, skilled talent, and thriving households—and committed to working with and through our investors to accelerate progress towards these Inclusive Growth goals. In 2022, resilience means connecting more people to innovation industries; competitiveness means more San Diegans have the skills the economy needs; and prosperity means that working families can afford to live here. Please find EDC’s 2022 goals outlined below.

JOBS

Goal: The region needs to create 50K quality small business jobs by 2030.

EDC will contribute to this goal in 2022 through:

  • Industry Insight: Track regional business sentiment and economic resilience via regular research publications, and complete AI industry series.
  • Business Services: Execute 250+ business expansion, attraction, and retention projects and support major mixed-use projects, leading to 5,000 quality jobs. Leverage the Life Sciences Task Force to establish a “one-stop-shop” framework for expansion support for Life Sciences industry and major development projects.
  • World Trade Center San Diego: Execute MetroConnect VI export accelerator program and expand the export Small Business Development Center to support 35+ export-ready companies, leading to $5M+ in new international sales. Enhance binational project support in priority industries.

TALENT

Goal: The region must create 20K degreed and credentialed workers per year by 2030.

EDC will contribute to this goal in 2022 through:

  • San Diego: Life. Changing.: Communicate opportunities for diverse, skilled talent in San Diego—especially to strategic competitive markets by enhancing Life Sciences recruiting tools.
  • Advancing San Diego: Maintain employer working groups and network of 40+ Preferred Providers for high-demand occupations, update and release regular talent demand reports, and place 80+ Healthcare and Life Sciences interns.

HOUSEHOLDS

Goal: The region must create 75K newly thriving households by 2030.

EDC will contribute to this goal in 2022 through:

  • Anchor Collaborative: Set shared regional procurement goals for region’s largest purchasers, identify $100 million in new small business spend, and create supplier navigation map.
  • Global Identity: Advance San Diego’s global agenda, support investments in critical infrastructure, and lead Mayoral Thriving Cities trade mission to international market.
  • Inclusive Growth: Create regional alignment on Inclusive Growth goals, launch downtown research and policy collaboration at UCSD’s Park & Market, and execute demonstration project on infrastructure needs.

EDC programs have real, measurable outcomes—supporting thousands of quality jobs, placing hundreds of interns and job seekers, and creating opportunities for millions of dollars of new contracts for small businesses. But ultimately, even the most driven and passionate team won’t substantially move the needle on these ambitious regional goals; we do not ourselves create jobs, train workers, draft policy, or build roads, high-rises, or housing. You do.

EDC can draft the roadmap, but you all—our region’s largest employers—are the only ones who will get us there, through working collaboratively and creatively to accelerate progress towards our regional 2030 goals. That is what “with and through” our investors means, and we at EDC can’t wait to get started.

– Nikia

Nikia Clarke
Nikia Clarke

Chief Strategy Officer, EDC; Exec. Director, WTCSD

READ EDC’S MONTHLY REPORT

READ EDC’S 2021 ANNUAL REPORT

SEE SAN DIEGO’S GOOD NEWS OF THE YEAR

San Diego’s Good News of the Week – January 7, 2022

By Candela Delucchi,

Every week, ‘Good News of the Week’ features a curation of positive headlines from San Diego, delivered straight to your inbox. A blend of aggregated stories from San Diego’s most trusted news sources and original EDC-created content, GNOTW provides a comprehensive recap of the region’s best stories from the past week.

Get Good News of the Week in your inbox every Friday. → Sign up

For the week of January 7, 2022, here’s what we’re reading:

…and here are some opportunities we’re watching:

EDC’s 2021 Year in Review

This past year, EDC welcomed new team members, investors, and board members, adding momentum to the goals we set for 2030 that together create a platform for inclusive economic growth. We’ve taken stock of EDC’s most impactful work in 2021—made possible with and through all of you.

Read More

EDC is hiring, join our team!

EDC is hiring a Research Manager / Sr. Manager with 3+ years of experience to analyze, synthesize, and visualize data to inform a diverse set of stakeholders and senior professionals from the region’s leading companies, nonprofits, and policy makers. EDC is also accepting applications for its Marketing and Communications internship.

Apply Now

Additional resources:

Be in the know – sign up below to receive future editions of GNOTW.

Want to submit your event or news update to our weekly newsletter? Contact us for more information.

Contact SDREDC
To learn more, please contact us.

EDC’s 2021 Year in Review

By San Diego Regional EDC,

In many ways, 2021 felt like a whirlwind. With the remarkable wins powered by San Diego’s innovation and resilience coupled with the lingering impacts of the pandemic, it can be surprising how much has changed while so much felt the same. This year, EDC welcomed new team members, investors, and board members, adding momentum to the goals we set for 2030 that together create a platform for inclusive economic growth. The need to develop more quality jobs within our small businesses, more skilled workers, and more thriving households across San Diego is more imperative than ever before. As this year comes to an end, we’re taking stock of EDC’s most impactful work in 2021—made possible with and through all of you.

JOBS

High growth industries create quality jobs and enable economic mobility across our binational region. The 2030 inclusive growth goals require the region to create 50,000 quality small business jobs by 2030. In 2021, EDC jobs programs contributed to this goal by assisting companies of all sizes with expansion and retention, and by facilitating sustainable connections to customers and markets.

see how we helped businesses this year

 

TALENT

Skilled talent fuels the growth of the innovation economy. To keep up with anticipated growth, the 2030 inclusive growth goals require the region to create 20,000 degreed and credentialed workers per year by 2030. In 2021, EDC talent programs showcased the region’s opportunities, aligned education with industry needs, and increased diversity in high demand occupations.

  • With a focus on talent shortages and skills needed, as well as the changing demands of the region’s workforce, EDC’s Research Bureau published regular research publications including the Economic Snapshot and Data Bites; a five-part San Diego’s Changing Business Landscape series; and two Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning economic impact reports on key clusters Cybersecurity and Transportation. Read the full AI-ML series.
  • San Diego: Life. Changing. communicated opportunities for skilled talent in San Diego—especially to strategic competitive markets—by enhancing recruiting tools and profiling 160+ exciting opportunities in STEM fields. This year, San Diego: Life. Changing. begun pivoting its focus to primarily spotlight scientific breakthroughs and career opportunities at San Diego’s Life Sciences employers. The ‘Just Say No To Winter‘ campaign is currently targeting Life Sciences markets in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.
  • Together with a group of industry leaders, Advancing San Diego (ASD) designated Preferred Providers in Manufacturing, Cybersecurity, and Healthcare, and released talent demand reports for the local Healthcare and Life Sciences industries. To help students build meaningful careers in local, high-demand jobs, ASD hosted its virtual Career Exploration Day and welcomed its Business and Manufacturing cohorts, pairing 48 student interns with 25 small companies.

Asd, employers identify highest regional talent needs

 

households

A competitive region is an affordable and accessible one. The 2030 inclusive growth goals require the region to create 75,000 newly thriving households. In 2021, EDC contributed to this goal by providing objective analysis of emerging trends, emphasizing the need for an inclusive economic recovery from the pandemic, and facilitating public private partnerships that increase regional sustainability, affordability, and competitiveness.

  • EDC hosted two Right Recovery Town Halls that highlighted employer-driven, market-based strategies for creating a more resilient economy, one of which explored how the transition to employee ownership enables businesses to retain a dedicated workforce and ensure wealth-building that will lead to more thriving households across the region.
  • Together with local tech company GoSite, EDC launched the San Diego Business Hub, a public-private partnership offering subsidized digital tools for small, diverse businesses. The cohort of 100 service-based businesses will receive a full suite of GoSite’s digital tools at no cost for one year.

Getting this recovery right

See San Diego’s good news of the year

 

Get involved

San Diego’s Good News of the Year 2021

By San Diego Regional EDC,

Even as pandemic challenges continue to linger, we look back on a year marked by life-changing innovation and community resilience across San Diego. From scientific breakthroughs to tech company expansions and record venture capital investment, 2021 allowed us to look toward recovery and compete on a global stage.

Read on for some of this year’s biggest headlines, all made possible by those who call the San Diego region home. Here’s to continued collaboration, resilience, and inclusion in 2022.

-Team EDC

Venture capital floods local startup ecosystem

San Diego secured record-breaking venture capital investment, outpacing 2020 by more than $2.6 billion. Some of San Diego’s standout startups and raises include:

  • ClickUp raises $400M, bringing its valuation to $4B
  • MetroConnect alum Cloudbeds raises $150M
  • Drata raises $100 million Series B, becomes unicorn
  • Flock Freight raises $215M, becomes unicorn
  • JuneShine raises $24M for its better-for-you hard kombucha
  • Shield AI raises $210M for AI drone tech, becomes unicorn
  • Tyra Biosciences goes public, raises $199M

Plus, acquisitions and IPOs steadily poured in throughout the year:

San Diego companies lead the charge against COVID-19

As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19 and its new variants, San Diego companies met the moment by developing new treatments, rapid-result testing solutions, and more aimed at getting us to a post-pandemic era:

Companies relocate, double-down amid pandemic

As locals, we know our region is special. And as San Diego competes on a global stage, debunking myths that we’re just a surf and beer town, countless innovative companies took notice. Here are some of our region’s newest transplants:

Homegrown research and innovation fosters global impact

Beyond COVID-19, San Diego’s Tech and Life Sciences employers continued to make waves across a diversity of industries, from oncology and genomics to manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI), and everything in between:

  • Qualcomm launches first-ever 5G and AI platform for drones
  • Roswell Biotechnologies debuts microchip to detect disease and develop drugs
  • UCSD Health first in the nation to implant new device for chronic back pain

San Diego’s defense industry lands major contracts

In 2021, the U.S. military contributed an estimated $35 billion in direct spending to San Diego defense companies. As an intrinsic part of our region, these companies scored major contracts to help mobilize and protect our troops and country:

San Diego earns the rankings to back it all up

From heavyweights to fast-growing startups, San Diego’s companies, talented workforce, and innovative industries (like our rising blue economy featured on CNBC’s ‘Streets of Dreams’), are getting noticed around the world. And we earned the numbers to show for it:

Quality of life amplified in San Diego

This year, San Diego saw its international border announce a new port of entry, artistic developments decorate our iconic skyline, and transportation infrastructure better connect our region, all of which made life even better here at home:

Tourism industry looks inward to support community

As the economy began to reopen, one of San Diego’s hardest hit industries made great progress towards recovery. The region welcomed back cruises and celebrated new and returning route service on Southwest, Air Canada, WestJet, Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, and British Airways.

And above all, the Tourism industry pivoted to step up for our community, aid in our recovery, and set examples for the world—in true San Diego style:

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