Vallejo workforce board warns of recent mass layoffs, urges rapid response to federal work‑requirement rollout

David Hubbell, executive director of the Solano County Workforce Development Board, told the Vallejo Economic Development Commission on May 13 that recent local business closures have produced hundreds of layoffs and that the community must act quickly to limit longer‑term harm. "Since last Friday alone, we have had more than 50 people from Vallejo that work for Harbinger come through our doors seeking our services and support," Hubbell said.

Hubbell listed a string of recent employer shutdowns and layoffs he said have affected Vallejo and greater Solano County, including Anheuser‑Busch (237 layoffs announced in December, closed in February), Mary Island dry docks (more than 80 maritime ship‑repair jobs), the Valero refinery (closure a little more than a month ago) and Harbinger Productions (about 290 layoffs). He said those events add to other personnel reductions in the Vallejo City School District and estimated that more than 900 local workers had received layoff notices in recent months; he said worst‑case scenarios could put the total dislocated‑worker count above 2,000 by year’s end. "The impacts have not just been on those dislocated workers, but it's impacted all of us in our pocketbooks," he said.

Hubbell also flagged the impending rollout of the federal "HR 1" work‑requirement rule, describing it as a near‑term shock that could remove benefits for people who do not meet an 80‑hour engagement standard. "Out of the 52,000 people in Solano County who receive CalFresh benefits, many of them here in Vallejo, it is expected that at least 8,000 are going to be targeted to lose their benefits starting in two weeks," Hubbell said, adding that he and county partners estimate tens of thousands of county residents could be affected across different programs. He urged the commission to join a June 17 community‑of‑practice meeting the workforce board is organizing to coordinate employers, health and social‑services staff, faith‑based groups and community organizations.

Commissioners asked about short‑term actions the workforce board is taking. Hubbell said the board is coordinating with adult schools to develop AI and digital‑skills classes but cautioned that federal workforce funds are typically restricted to training that leads to industry‑recognized credentials, which complicates rapid deployment of new courses. "We're talking about AI training," he said. "But the funding that we receive must be used to train people that lead into an industry‑recognized credential."

On long‑term workforce strategy, Hubbell pressed for earlier exposure to maritime careers in K–12 education and said the board is working with the Solano County Office of Education, Cal Poly Maritime and local industry to build maritime career‑technical education pathways. He told the commission the board aims to have maritime CTE in place for the 2028–29 school year, citing curriculum development, facility planning and equipment timelines.

Next steps: Hubbell asked commissioners to join the June 17 community‑of‑practice meeting and to consider short‑term recommendations for helping residents meet HR 1 requirements. He also offered handouts and follow‑up contact information for staff coordination.