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.