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.
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
Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce
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
Cogstone Resource Management/Member of Gabrielino Tongva Community
Payomkawichum Kaamalam (Acjachemen)
Apolonio Cortes
Donia Kayali
Johnice Williams
Karen Sarabia
Kevin Phung
Maria Aguilar
Sarah Riggs
Sokollin Tes
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
Collaborative Meetings:
The Collaborative will convene regularly to meet the objectives of the Regional Investment Initiative.
Next Collaborative Meeting:
Date: December 6, 2024
Time: 9:00 am
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.
Orange County Jobs First Collaborative Timeline
*Please note: Subject to change.
CEO Leadership Alliance OC
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 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
View research highlights
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.
View outreach and
engagement one pager
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
Past Meeting Presentations
and Recaps
Stay up to date
To stay up to date on the Regional Investment Initiative, please email [email protected].