The North (Greater Sacramento) Center of Excellence has issued a report examining opportunities for community college collaboration and program development to address unmet need for certain well-paid, in-demand “focus” occupations in the subregion.

“Focus” occupations are defined as middle-skill jobs that either have robust employment demand or pay above a living wage, or both. Middle-skill jobs typically require more education than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree.

This “Highlight Report” expounds upon five community college and district service area profiles that were released in late 2025 to facilitate alignment with labor market opportunities in the subregion.

• Access the Highlight Report here.
• Access the individual profiles here.

Key Findings:

A Need for Workers in Skilled Trades. Across all five colleges and districts, the energy, construction, and utilities sector has an undersupply of awards to meet labor market demand.

Unmet Life Sciences and Biotech Demand. Regarding the life sciences and biotechnology sector, no awards were conferred in four of the five college/district service areas, but a total of 326 average annual openings exist in those service areas.

Community College Coordination a Promising Strategy. Quite a few focus occupations are shared by college/district service areas, presenting an opportunity for cross-college or cross-district collaboration. Examples are first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers; water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators; and registered nurses.

Used in conjunction, the individual profiles and the highlight report can inform future investments by community colleges and districts, and support priorities identified through the North Far North Strong Workforce Program (SWP) Regional Plan.