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Capital Region report: Valley Vision and partners outline biosciences, healthcare and precision manufacturing pathways
Summary
Valley Vision and Capital Region partners told the CWDB about an eight‑county regional strategy focused on biosciences, healthcare and precision manufacturing, and described catalyst grants and college‑employer partnerships (UC Davis, Los Rios, Sierra College) to build pipelines and stackable credentials.
Valley Vision and several Capital Region partners presented a coordinated workforce strategy that emphasizes biosciences, healthcare and precision manufacturing as priority sectors for regional inclusive growth.
Region and goals: Staff described the Capital Region regional planning unit (eight counties; about 2.46 million residents) and highlighted regional labor‑market frictions such as commute patterns, housing costs and childcare gaps that affect access to jobs. Valley Vision and partners framed sector priorities using data and partner engagement under the California Jobs First initiative.
Sector projects and college programs: UC Davis (faculty Mark Fchhati) described a catalyst grant that establishes biotech exposure and career awareness for high school and community college students with programming housed in Aggie Square. Sierra College (Dr. Amy Schultz) outlined mechatronics and precision manufacturing programs, dual‑enrollment pathways with local high schools and employer partnerships (Bosch) that produced a 19‑year‑old graduate hired at $75,000 with no student debt. Los Rios Community College District (Teresa Milan) described three new healthcare programs (surgical technology, cardiovascular technology, radiologic tech) developed with regional hospitals and supported by regional “We Prosper Together” funds; presenters noted clinical placements and accreditation requirements constrain cohort sizes.
Regional coordination and scale: Presenters emphasized employer engagement (hospital systems, semiconductor firms, manufacturers), co‑investment strategies, recorded advisories and data products to inform curriculum and employer panels. Board members asked about cohort sizes, clinical placements, leveraging WIOA/ETPL and dual enrollment to scale, and next steps for aligning training capacity with employer demand. Presenters identified capacity constraints (facility/lab space and clinical slots) as primary near‑term limits to rapidly scaling some programs. Several board members expressed support and willingness to connect presenters to funding sources and local industry networks.
Next steps: Presenters said they will continue to coordinate through regional convening structures, seek additional funding (catalyst/RERP/Strong Workforce) and work with local workforce boards to align employer demand with education pipelines.
