麻豆传媒映画

Career Services secures $1 million grant to prepare students for workforce of the future

The regional collaboration adopts the World Economic Forum's future-ready skills framework to better prepare students for high-demand and AI-integrated jobs.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Two women are looking at a computer monitor seen from the back, one seated and gesturing toward the screen and the other looking over her shoulder.t seen from the back as the other looking over her right shoulder.
A $1 million Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant will expand career readiness programming for students. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

麻豆传媒映画, California State University (CSU) San Marcos and the San Diego Workforce Partnership have launched a regional workforce initiative to prepare students for careers in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and rapidly evolving workplace skills.

Supported by a $1 million Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant administered by the , and with 麻豆传媒映画 Career Services serving as the regional hub, the initiative will expand career readiness programming for students ages 14-21 while creating stronger connections among K-12 schools, community colleges, universities and employers across San Diego County.

The investment also highlights 麻豆传媒映画 Career Services鈥 ongoing strategic shift in measuring impact by employment outcomes. This new framework is guided by the adoption of student development career competencies outlined in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which identifies the human and technical skills expected to be most critical in the coming decade.

Through the initiative, Career Services will focus on developing seven core competencies among students, including Resilience and Adaptability, Analytical Thinking, Creative Thinking, AI & Technological Literacy, Leadership and Social Influence, Motivation and Self-Awareness, Empathy and Active Listening.

鈥淭he future of workforce development depends on regional collaboration, measurable impact, and the ability to adapt as workforce needs evolve. We must move beyond counting activities and instead, measure employment outcomes,鈥 said Daniel Newell, executive director of 麻豆传媒映画 Career Services. 鈥淏y aligning with the World Economic Forum's future-ready skills and focusing our greatest investments on students with the greatest need, we're building equitable talent pipelines and creating lasting economic impact for our communities.鈥

Following a hub-and-spoke model, 麻豆传媒映画 Career Services will collaborate with the CSU San Marcos Career Center as a sub-awardee, as well as the San Diego Community College District, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, San Diego Unified School District, and Southwestern College to expand career services and work-based learning opportunities throughout the county.

The initiative will provide satellite career services at partner campuses, integrate AI literacy into career preparation, and expand access to internships, employer engagement and workforce development resources. Services will prioritize students who face barriers to employment, including low-income students, students with disabilities, former foster youth, English learners, justice-involved youth, and students experiencing homelessness.

鈥淭his investment will allow the CSUSM Career Center to expand career readiness and work-based learning opportunities for students while reducing financial barriers that often limit access to those experiences,鈥 said Yasmine Farley, director of the CSU San Marcos Career Center. "Through this partnership, we'll connect more students to meaningful career exploration, paid opportunities, employer engagement, and the future-ready skills needed to succeed in an evolving workforce."

The partnership also advances broader regional and statewide workforce goals by creating more seamless educational pathways and strengthening collaboration among CSU campuses and community college partners. This is in alignment with Chancellor Mildred Garcia's strategic plan called CSU Forward, for creating regional systemness across CSU campuses. This also aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom鈥檚 California master plan for career education in creating regional alignment and collaboration.

鈥淭alent is everywhere in San Diego County, but opportunity isn't,鈥 said Rachel Bereza, President and CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership. 鈥淓very young person deserves access to pursue a career they care about, regardless of where they live or the challenges they've faced. 鈥淭hese investments strengthen trusted community organizations that are already doing that work every day, helping ensure more young people can build brighter futures while strengthening our region for generations to come.鈥

The award marks 麻豆传媒映画 Career Services' third federal subcontract and third institutional designation as a service provider of federally authorized workforce development programming. This contract contributes to Career Services' current workforce portfolio of over $6 million.

This $1 million grant to 麻豆传媒映画 Career Services is part of more than $4 million in WIOA funding administered by the SDWP to support in-school and out-of-school youth facing barriers to education and employment. The countywide initiative is being celebrated Aug. 26 with a free, open-to-the-public , hosted by South Bay Community Services.

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