Growing Inland Achievement

Education Insight: The Relationship Between Education, the Workforce, and the Economy

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About This Episode

Season 2. Episode 3.

In the 1970s and 80s, traditionalist educators insisted that a great education should include lots of structure, specific standards of performance, and a heavy dose of memorization of key facts and concepts. These they assured, would help our students to enter the workforce already proficient in language and writing skills, mathematics, science, social studies, and some critical thinking. Are those skills enough for an IE student to succeed in the current and coming workforce? What do students in the Inland Empire need to know today? Are our schools preparing graduates with what they really need to know and preparing our community with upcoming graduates ready to take local businesses and industry into a brighter future? Find out in today’s episode.

Featured Guests

Michael Goss

Director of the Inland Empire/Desert Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research

Kevin McCarty was elected to the California State Assembly in 2014 to represent the 7th Assembly District, which includes Sacramento, West Sacramento and parts of unincorporated Sacramento County.

McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, which oversees the largest component of California’s multi-billion dollar budget. As Chair, McCarty made historic investments in public education including expanding access to preschool for low and middle income families, providing greater career technical education programs, and increasing student enrollment at our public colleges and universities.

Other legislative priorities for Assemblymember McCarty include addressing housing affordability, fighting climate change, championing criminal justice reform, curbing gun violence, tackling the opioid crisis and advocating for the middle class.

McCarty began his public service career as a Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commissioner and served on the Sacramento City Council from 2004 to 2014. As a Councilmember, he created innovative youth programs and wrote common-sense gun laws, tackled sub-standard rental housing, and crafted clean air policies. He created Sacramento’s Little Saigon district, the City’s Whistleblower Hotline program, and the Independent Auditor department.

A lifelong Sacramentan, McCarty went to local public schools, attended American River College, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CSU Long Beach and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento.

McCarty and his wife live in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Sacramento with their twin daughters.

Like, follow and connect with Assemblymember McCarty on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @AsmKevinMcCarty

Paul Granillo

President & CEO, Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP)

Karen Scott is the Executive Director of the Children and Families Commission – First 5 San Bernardino, a funding organization of services for children prenatal through age 5, by investing revenue received from Prop 10, a tobacco tax initiative in California.

Ms. Scott’s education and background is in Public Administration and Administration of Justice and she has worked in the realm of Human Services for San Bernardino County since 1977.  Karen has served as Executive Director of First 5 San Bernardino for 14 years leading the organization’s efforts to promote, support and enhance the health and early development of children, prenatal through age five through coordinated and comprehensive systems of care that strengthen children, families and communities, ensuring children are safe, healthy and ready to enter and succeed in school.

Karen is married to James Scott and has 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren.

Interview Highlights

8:17 – Michael shares the most in-demand careers right now and in the future for the Inland Empire

10:15 – Michael describes how the Inland Empire is doing as a region in keeping up with workforce demand

13:02 – Michael discusses particular industries that he believes are economically critical to the Inland Empire

14:20 – Michael details what we can do as a region to be more competitive going forward

15:12 – Michael talks about some of the most significant challenges that we’re facing in regards to training and meeting the needs of businesses in the region.

18:28 – Michael gives insight into how COVID-19 has changed the workforce in the Inland Empire

23:16 – Paul shares the greatest challenges facing the Inland Empire today

25:36 – Paul describes how the Inland Empire is doing when it comes to training and education of a workforce to meet the needs of employers

26:40 – Paul reflects on the lessons we’ve learned about our local economy as a result of the pandemic.

30:34 – Paul explains what he believes is needed from our workforce and our local educational institutions to create a more vibrant regional economy.

34:37 – Paul shares whether or not he believes education is necessary to earn a living wage in our region

38:46 – Paul discusses whether or not more college graduates = more businesses in the Inland Empire

46:08 – Special Feature Original Song: Romeo by: Micha Justice

View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://gia.echofactory.dev/gia-podcasts/

Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.

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