IRVINE, CA (April 14, 2025) — Through the California Jobs First (CJF) initiative, Orange County Business Council (OCBC) is awarding $3 million to initiate local projects that support job creation and workforce development.
Since 2023, OCBC has served as the CJF Regional Convener in Orange County. CJF is part of a statewide initiative established to invest in economic development, community infrastructure and supportive services. As part of that work, OCBC brought together a collaborative of Orange County stakeholders representing businesses from a variety of industries, labor associations, California Native American Tribes, government agencies, academia and others to award these funds.
“As the preeminent business organization in the region, OCBC is proud to serve as the regional convener for this effort to kick-start so many amazing projects,” said Jeffrey Ball, OCBC President & CEO. “Enhancing economic development throughout the region is OCBC’s primary mission. These projects will grow our local economy, provide high paying jobs and enhance the quality of life for so many of the County’s residents, and we are excited to support them and see them come to fruition”.
The grants are meant to serve as catalytic funding for local projects so they can become implementation ready. Some of the projects supported from this round of funding include the creation of a Little Saigon Business Community Benefit District, pre-apprenticeship programs in the construction industry, a training center for energy efficient building technicians, a formerly incarcerated workforce re-entry center and an autonomous drone workforce training program, among others. For a complete list of the awardees, please click here.
Orange County, with OCBC leading this effort, is one of only 13 regions statewide to be part of CJF, which aims to build equitable and sustainable economies across all of California. It is intended to cultivate long-term economic resilience in the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
“OCBC applauds the state’s effort to grow California’s economy by investing in the entrepreneurs and organizations who are focused on launching sustainable, high paying jobs,” said Ball. “OCBC congratulates the entities that have been funded, thanks our collaborative partners for their engagement and looks forward to continuing this work to identify more projects that will have a positive impact on Orange County’s economy.”
With these awards, OCBC has completed the first round of CJF catalyst funding. The organization will announce details for the second round of funding in May.
About Orange County Business Council
For 30 years, Orange County Business Council (OCBC) has been representing and promoting the region’s business community together with government and academia to enhance the economic development of Orange County, California. The Council’s core initiatives include developing pro-business solutions that lead to economic growth, education development that leads to a competitive workforce, advocating for a range of housing, and advocating for adequate investment in regional and statewide infrastructure for the nation’s sixth most populous county. Member organizations include businesses and local organizations representing a diverse cross section of industries including biomedical, construction, education, financial services, health care, manufacturing, municipalities, nonprofit, technology, tourism, transportation, real estate and utilities. For more information, visit ocbc.org.
Media Contact:
Paul Simonds
Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Orange County Business Council
[email protected]
714-587-7816
