http://www.eastbayworks.com
EASTBAY Works, Inc.
1212 Broadway, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94612
Ed McMillan, Executive Director
(510) 768-4450
East Bay Works: Problem Clarification Points the Way
Thirty years ago, Contra Costa County served primarily as a bedroom community for its busier
neighbors in the Bay Area. Today, its economic base is comprised of
six sectors (petrochemical manufacturing, financial services, professional & business
services, healthcare, construction, and leisure & hospitality), which together employ
half of the county's labor force. However, over one-third of local jobs are located
in high-tech clusters (software, instruments, biotechnology, environmental, and medical
technology), the telecommunications sector, and the more traditional retail and public sectors.
The diversity of the local economy presents a challenge to the Workforce Development Board of
Contra Costa County (WDBCCC) in terms of determining where the Board's work is needed most
and where its limited resources can cause the greatest impact.
To address this challenge the WDBCCC has developed a strategy that revolves
around continuously addressing the question: "What are the drivers of our local economy?"
The organization has designed a process to implement this strategy which is based on three
pillars:
- Energetic networking;
- The desire to learn; and
- Willingness to broker.