The state of California has announced $80 million in funding to support regional economic development, marking a significant step in executing the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint. This investment is part of a broader $125 million initiative aimed at advancing key industry sectors identified as critical to the state’s long-term economic resilience and workforce growth. n nDee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to the Governor and Director of GO-Biz, along with Stewart Knox, Secretary of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency, emphasized that this phase transforms strategic planning into tangible outcomes. They highlighted that the funding model prioritizes community-led development, enabling regions to leverage local assets and drive innovation from the ground up. n nThe first round of grants supports four major project clusters, each aligned with a strategic economic sector. Collectively, these initiatives are projected to generate more than 23,000 employment opportunities across diverse regions of the state. n nIn the aerospace and defense domain, $16,951,467 has been allocated to two projects focused on strengthening infrastructure and workforce capacity along California’s Central Coast. These efforts aim to modernize the regional industrial base and enhance supply chain resilience. n nThe agtech and farm equipment sector will receive $28,632,344, distributed across four initiatives targeting workforce training, ecosystem development, and infrastructure upgrades. Benefiting areas include the North State, Redwood Coast, and both the northern and central San Joaquin Valley, as well as the Southern Border Region. n nAn investment of $10,367,000 is directed toward the bioeconomy in the North San Joaquin Valley, supporting ecosystem development and enhancing physical and institutional infrastructure critical to biotech and sustainable agriculture ventures. n nIn Los Angeles County, $23,920,000 has been committed to four life sciences projects. These funds will support lab facilities, innovation hubs, and collaborative networks designed to accelerate research commercialization and workforce integration in the biosciences. n nThis latest disbursement builds on $182 million previously awarded to 13 regional consortia to design and pilot locally tailored economic strategies. The state’s bottom-up approach has demonstrated effectiveness in aligning public investment with community-specific needs, fostering inclusive growth and technological advancement. n nLooking ahead, the California Jobs First Council has moved up the timeline for the second phase of implementation funding, now scheduled to launch in October 2025—three months earlier than originally planned—due to strong regional momentum and coalition engagement. Further details on the upcoming request for proposals (RFP) will be shared through official channels. n nComplementing these sectoral investments, the state continues to expand workforce development through its Master Plan for Career Education. A total of $94 million is being allocated this year to expand apprenticeship access, with the goal of serving 52,000 apprentices and pre-apprentices. This supports Governor Newsom’s broader objective of reaching 500,000 apprentices by 2029. n nRecent apprenticeship grants include $26 million awarded in August to improve gender and socioeconomic diversity in construction trades, benefiting 25 programs. In July, $20 million in training funds were directed to building trades apprenticeships. Additionally, $15.4 million was granted in June to 29 youth-focused programs under the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) initiative, connecting underserved youth to career pathways in healthcare, education, and other high-demand industries. n nThese coordinated efforts reflect California’s commitment to maintaining its position as a global economic leader by investing in people, innovation, and regionally driven development. n— news from Governor of California (.gov)n
— News Original —nCalifornia awards $80 million to drive economic growth and spur job creation across the staten nToday’s awards are part of a two-phased approach to distribute a total of $125 million in implementation funding to projects that advance the “Accelerate” or “Bet” sectors, as outlined in the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint. n n“Today marks a major milestone for California Jobs First – the moment when years of planning and collaboration turn into real projects, real jobs, and real impact. These awards reflect our shared commitment to a bottom-up, community-driven approach that builds on local strengths, drives innovation, and ensures every region across California has the opportunity to thrive.” – Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to the Governor and Director of GO-Biz, and Stewart Knox, Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency n nRound one of this funding is being awarded to four project clusters as part of the Jobs First Regional Investment Initiative, each focused on a different sector. In total, these projects are expected to support more than 23,000 jobs across California. n nAerospace & Defense: $16,951,467 was awarded to two projects designed to provide ecosystem support and uplift the aerospace & defense sector’s infrastructure and workforce in the Central Coast. n nAgtech & Farm Equipment: $28,632,344 was awarded to four projects intended to strengthen the agtech & farm equipment sector, targeting workforce development, ecosystem support, and infrastructure for the North State, Redwood Coast, North San Joaquin Valley, Central San Joaquin Valley and Southern Border Regions. n nBioeconomy: $10,367,000 was awarded to provide ecosystem support and bolster the bioeconomy sector’s infrastructure in the North San Joaquin Valley Region. n nLife Sciences: $23,920,000 was awarded to four life sciences projects in Los Angeles County, aimed at providing infrastructure and ecosystem support. n nSee full list of awards details here n nCalifornia Jobs First: A bold plan, realized locally n nIn February, Governor Newsom released the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint – a new economic vision for California’s future. The Blueprint, which is being implemented by the nine state agencies on the California Jobs First Council, outlines key initiatives to support regional growth, invest in 21st century job training, create an attractive environment for job creators and strengthen California’s innovation economy – all to help increase access to good-paying jobs for Californians. n nToday’s implementation investments build on the $182 million already distributed to the 13 Jobs First regions in recent years to design and pilot projects tailored to the unique needs of their local communities. This grassroots funding approach has proven to be a powerful tool in driving economic growth and fostering innovation at the community level by empowering regions to prioritize what impacts them most. n nWhat comes next n nGiven the momentum gained by many regions and industry-focused coalitions across the state, the California Jobs First Council is expediting the timeline for the second round of implementation funding, which will kick off in October 2025 rather than January 2026. n nUpdates on timing and the RFP can be found here, and you can follow California Jobs First here to stay updated on the latest developments. n nCreating jobs statewide n nThrough the Master Plan for Career Education, Governor Newsom aims to create additional pathways to good paying jobs by serving 500,000 apprentices by 2029. To reach this goal, the Department of Industrial Relations and its Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) is awarding over $94 million this year to boost access to apprenticeships, and this funding aims to serve 52,000 apprentices and pre-apprentices. n nIn August, DAS awarded $26 million in Equal Representation in Construction Apprenticeship grants to 25 construction apprenticeship programs to increase access to construction careers for women and disadvantaged communities. The first rounds of the ERiCA Grant served 1,087 apprentices and 222 pre-apprentices. n nIn July, DAS announced $20 million in new California Apprenticeship Council Training Funds, which will help to support the training of over 36,000 building trades apprentices. n nIn June, DAS awarded $15.4 million in California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship (COYA) grants to 29 youth apprenticeship programs. The funds will align youth who are often out of school or unemployed with pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that can lead to employment in high-demand fields, such as healthcare and education, setting them on a path to upward mobility and higher earning power. n nMaintaining California’s economic dominance