Closing the Skills Gap across Industries

Fierce demand and competition for workforce talent is steering a growing number of tech companies, including Google, Amazon, IBM and Tesla, to build closer ties with community colleges. A recent Wall Street Journal story—Big Tech’s Hot New Talent Incubator: Community Colleges—highlighting this emerging trend didn’t come as big news to the Bay Area Council. Through our Workforce of the Future Committee, the Council for several years has been partnering with community colleges to build out programs that address the widening skills gap many employers are experiencing.

Tech is not the only player getting in on the game. The Council is also focusing on a range of industries, including advanced manufacturing, aviation, construction and healthcare, to create stronger educational and career pathways that better align the instruction and programs community colleges offer to meet the hiring needs of employers. Innovative Occupational Councils the Workforce Committee has pioneered are serving as the forum for bringing together employers and educators to develop new methods for making community colleges vital talent incubators. To learn how the Workforce of the Future Committee can help with your companies hiring challenges, please contact Senior Vice President Linda Bidrossian.