By Barbara Smith – Contributing Writer
All that training in technology and still looking for a job? Listings of job opportunities in San Diego in the field of consumer electronics are available, but you have to know where to look. LinkedIn.com names 116 consumer electronics jobs in San Diego, with a diversity of companies, including web marketing manager for Sony, Research scientist/engineer for LG Electronics, certified field technicians for Mobile-Technologies, and software development engineer for Sayva Solutions. A further tool to serious job seekers is the In-Demand Jobs report, produced by the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP), which uses employer feedback and labor market information to profile 55 of San Diego County’s top occupations, listing 154 In-Demand Jobs, many of them in the field of technology.
More employers expect a bachelor’s degree than any other level of education’ however, there are in-demand Jobs available for all educational levels. And. while the 407 employers surveyed for the report indicated they would hire more part time than full time employees over the next 12 months, still that part time job is a foot in the door for networking to future opportunities.
It’s all part of a concerted effort to make a dent in unemployment rates and offer meaningful work to job seekers. As we roll into 2017, there are reasons to be optimistic. November’s Workforce Conference, sponsored by SDWP, addressed employment concerns. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for California fell 0.2 percentage points in November 2016 to 5.3%. “The end of the year is a good time to reflect on our work and what lies ahead,” said SDWP President and CEO Peter Callstrom “With 1.6 million people in our regional workforce, we need to continuously review and understand what jobs are in-demand. Employers are creating jobs that require new skills and need employees with relevant work experience and essential skills. Our Workforce Conference addressed the future of work — now we need to tackle it.”
To that end, the Workforce report, available online at http://workforce.org provides an in depth view of career-specific fields with both current and projected growth employment rates, educational requirements, salary levels, occupational tasks, top skills and competencies and even top hiring difficulties, all significant tools for serious job seekers. Among the careers the report explores in the field of technology are software developers, both system and application, telecommunications professionals, and web developers.
The In-Demand Jobs report uses employer feedback and labor market information to profile San Diego County’s top occupations. The list of 154 In-Demand Jobs, those that offer a median wage at or above the $13.09 per hour San Diego living wage and have a higher than average 5-year growth projection, can be found in the full report, which describes employer trends and San Diego-specific information on wages, skills, job growth and employer expectations. The In-Demand Jobs report acts as a guide for students and job seekers as they conduct their career explorations to enter or rejoin the world of work.
Says CEO Callstrom, “We are committed to expanding initiatives in the coming year that will address [employer’s and jobseeker‘s] needs, including business-led customized trainings. New programs have been launched or expanded for low-income individuals with disabilities, for individuals exiting incarceration, and for young adults in need of education and employment.”
Among SDWP 2017 events is “Flip the Script: 53,000 Reasons to Change the Story of San Diego’s Opportunity Youth,” an effort among young adults, employers educators, foundations, and public officials to address the needs of young people in San Diego who are disconnected from school and work.
