San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura
Medical Coding
In the South Central Coast region, the number of medical coding jobs is expected to increase by 10% between 2016 and 2021.
Graphic Design
In the South Central Coast region, the number of jobs related to graphic design is expected to remain steady from 2016 to 2021, with nearly 200 annual job opportunities.
Drug and Alcohol Certification
Social and Human Service Assistants and Community Health Workers are forecasted to grow by 19% from 2016 to 2021, resulting in nearly 400 annual job opportunities.
Labor Market Report: North Santa Barbara County
This labor market report summarizes industry and occupational employment trends in the North Santa Barbara County area . The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the labor market trends in the area while focusing on middle-skill occupations, which are relevant for community college students.
Sector Profile: Advanced Manufacturing
In the South Central Coast region, computer-numeric-control (CNC) manufacturing dominates the advanced manufacturing center. For example, in the Santa Clarita Valley, there are more than 100 CNC industries, many serving specialized niches. Other strong regional advanced manufacturing subsectors include medical devices and automotive parts.
Sector Profile: Agriculture, Water and Environmental Technologies
The agriculture, water, and environmental technologies sector is critical to the South Central Coast, generating billions of dollars each year in revenue. This region is one of the most fertile farming regions in the state and nation. Grapes, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower and citrus are key crops. The region's coastal location has also given rise to a new trend - the export of fruits and vegetables both domestically, and overseas.
Sector Profile: Energy, Construction & Utilities
California's new "zero net energy" goals are expected to be a major driver in the construction industry in coming years. Starting in 2020, construction of all new homes must incorporate a combination of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, including automated systems for lighting and climate control. These new regulations have implications for carpenters, glazers, electricians and solar installers in the South Central Coast region.
Sector Profile: Health Care
Health care is one of the fastest growing industries in the South Central Coast region with many in-demand jobs that pay competitive wages. Emerging areas with crossover to the healthcare sector that warrant attention and post opportunities for students are biotechnology, cybersecurity, and health information technology (HIT).
Sector Profile: ICT/Digital Media
Nearly every industry and occupations today involves some aspect of ICT/digital media. From advanced manufacturing firms to health care, there are many opportunities in ICT/digital media due to its crossover with other fields. Within the South Coast region, ICT/digital media plays an important role in the deployment of technology in agriculture, the aerospace and defense industries, and biomedical industry.
Sector Profile: Small Business
Just as in the national economy, small businesses play an important role in the economy of the South Central Coast. Primary areas of focus for small businesses in the region are agriculture, tourism and recreation. Small mom-and-pop businesses with three to four employees are predominant in the region.
Press Release: Solar Study
A study released by the Centers of Excellence finds that job opportunities in the solar industry are expected to increase by up to 40 percent in the next three years. The “Solar Industry & Occupations: Distributed and Utility-scale Generation” report also looked at the availability of community college courses and programs educating potential employees for the solar industry in California.
Solar Industry & Occupations: Distributed and Utility-scale Generation
According to a recent survey of employers, California's solar industry, currently accounting for close to 50,000 workers, is expected to increase by as many as 18,000 jobs by 2015.