Orange County

Regional Investment Initiative

California Jobs First (formerly known as CERF) is a regional economic development program. Its purpose is to build equitable and sustainable economies across California’s diverse regions and foster long-term economic resilience in the overall transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Upcoming Event

California Jobs First: Orange County Regional
Investment Initiative Forum

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 • 4 – 7 pm
Santa Ana College
Registration Closed. Event capacity has been reached.

Register Here

California Jobs First Objectives

The priorities of this initiative are to promote equitable and sustainable economic development, support inclusive economic planning that prioritizes quality jobs, and align and leverage federal state funding to maximize economic resilience.

To stay updated on the Regional Investment Initiative, please email [email protected].

California Jobs First Objectives

The priorities of this initiative are to promote equitable and sustainable economic development,
support inclusive economic planning that prioritizes quality jobs, and align and leverage federal state
funding to maximize economic resilience.

To stay updated on the Regional Investment Initiative, please email [email protected]

Orange County Jobs First Collaborative

To execute the Regional Investment Initiative, an inclusive regional planning group that consists of balanced and meaningful representation from regional stakeholders was formed.

Orange County’s Jobs First Collaborative consists of the following organizations:

CEO Leadership Alliance OC

Cox Business

Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Orange County Business Council

OC Black Chamber of Commerce

Southern California Gas Company

American Indian Chamber of Commerce of CA

Apolonio Cortes

Donia Kayali

Johnice Williams

Karen Sarabia

Kevin Phung

Maria Aguilar

Sarah Riggs

City of Garden Grove Economic Development Department

City of Santa Ana Economic Development Department

Cooperacion Santa Ana

Cielo

CSUF Center for Entrepreneurship

Octane

Sustain SoCal

California State University, Fullerton

Chapman University

Concordia University Irvine

Irvine Valley College

North Orange County Community College District

Orange County Department of Education

UMASS Global

University of California, Irvine

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Climate Action Campaign

Coastal Corridor Alliance

Orange County Coastkeeper

Sunrise Movement Orange County

Community Action Partnership of Orange County

Family Assistance Ministries

Jamboree Housing

Latino Health Access

Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)

Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD)

Orange County United Way

THRIVE Santa Ana

The Kennedy Commission

The Cambodian Family

First 5 Orange County

League of CA Cities: OC Division

Orange Workforce Association

Southern California Association of Governments

Boilermakers Local 92

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 947

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 441

Iron Workers Local 416

Iron Workers Local 433

LA/OC Building and Construction Trades

OC Labor Federation

Plumbers & Steamfitters, Local 582

Sheet Metal Worker Local 105

UA Local Union 250

UNITE HERE Local 11

Charitable Ventures

Orange County Community Foundation

Orange County Grantmakers

Chrysalis

Goodwill Orange County

Hope Builders

Hospitality Training Academy

Orange County Conservation Corps

Vital Link

CEO Leadership Alliance OC

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Collaborative Meetings:

The Collaborative will convene regularly to meet the objectives of the Regional Investment Initiative.

All meetings are open to the public.

Meetings have a translated closed caption function to support non-English speakers. Click Here to view the instructions on how to turn on this feature.

To provide public comments for the collaborative please email [email protected] or call 949.794.7245, and the comment will be shared with the collaborative as part of their agenda packet for the next scheduled meeting.

All public comments must be received by 12:00 p.m. Thursday, prior to the meeting.

Next Collaborative Meeting:
Date: January 24, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m.

Click Here to Join Virtual Meeting

Calendar of Events

Orange County Jobs First Collaborative Timeline

*Please note: Subject to change.

CEO Leadership Alliance OC

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Catalyst Funding

The Catalyst Program, California Jobs First inaugural funding source to support the development of projects in the region, reserves $14 million for Orange County to bridge the gap between planning regional economic development strategies and implementing projects designed to achieve outcomes that align with those strategies. $9 million of catalyst funds will support each region’s Collaborative to invest in pre-development activities, enabling regions to develop projects and maximize investment opportunities. A list of possible pre-development activities can be found here.

Regional Plan
Part 1

The first part of the regional plan presents the region’s stakeholders, assesses the factors affecting the region’s economic, environmental, and health conditions, and conducts detailed economic and workforce analyses. The intention is to ensure that the plans take a full account of the factors shaping economic development in the region before developing strategies for recovery and transition.

The Regional Plan Part 1 can be found here.

For the Spanish version of the draft Regional Plan for Part 1, click here.

View executive summary

In English

In Spanish

In Vietnamese

View research highlights

In English

In Spanish

In Vietnamese

Regional Plan
Part 2

The second part of the regional plan presents strategies for the region to grow a more equitable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable economy based on the findings in the Regional Plan Part I and input from the community. The report includes strategies to grow priority sectors, strategies for greater economic mobility, and regional and community development strategies beyond economic development but are still critical to building resilient communities.

The Regional Plan Part 2 can be found here.

The Spanish version of the Regional Plan Part 2 can be found here.

Outreach and
Engagement

From July through September 2023, Outreach & Engagement (O&E) grantees sought input and feedback from residents, businesses, and other stakeholders, with a focus on disinvested community members in Orange County. This feedback — on assets and barriers in the region, as well as how the California Jobs First process can best impact the region — has been provided to the Orange County Jobs First Collaborative as a primary source of information to develop strategies and projects that meet the communities’ needs.

To view a presentation of the survey findings, click on this video recording here.

Community outreach and engagement process
Community outreach and engagement findings

View outreach and
engagement one pager

In English

In Spanish

In Vietnamese

Disinvested
Communities

Investments that benefit disinvested communities will be a priority for proposed projects in the Implementation Phase. California Jobs First defines ‘disinvested communities’ as any of the following:

  • Census tracts identified as ‘disadvantaged’ by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Census tracts with median household incomes at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income or with the median household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits adopted pursuant to Section 50093 of the California Health and Safety Code.
  • ‘High poverty area’ and ‘High unemployment area’ as designated by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development California Competes Tax Credit Program.
  • California Native American Tribes as defined by the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) Tribal Consultation Policy.

To see which Orange County census tracts that are defined as disinvested, utilize the map to access a full data portal with our ArcGIS Hub.

Past Collaborative Meetings and Recaps

Agenda

Meeting Notes – English

Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – English

Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

Recording of Meeting

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

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Meeting Notes – Spanish
Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
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Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

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Meeting Notes – Spanish

Meeting Notes – Vietnamese

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Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
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Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
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Meeting Notes – Spanish
Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
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Meeting Notes – Spanish
Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
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Meeting Notes – English
Meeting Notes – Spanish
Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
Recording of Meeting

Agenda
Meeting Notes – English
Meeting Notes – Spanish
Meeting Notes – Vietnamese
Recording of Meeting

Past Meeting Presentations
and Recaps

Stay up to date

To stay up to date on the Regional Investment Initiative, please email [email protected].

Get in Touch

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