Two organizations were recently awarded grants for projects addressing education and workforce needs in Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties. Selected through a competitive application and review process, the North Bay Employment Connection Regional Planning Unit (NBEC) awarded the Industry Innovation Grant to the Napa County Office of Education (NCOE) and Mendocino Private Industry Council (MPIC). This fund was created to support system-wide solutions which will lead to greater economic vitality for the residents and businesses of the North Bay.

The first program, Attention: Napa – Workforce Matters, identifies and promotes achievable employment opportunities within the manufacturing, construction and hospitality industries. The project aims to help Napa employers attract workers by creating videos to show job seekers what career paths look like in these industries. NCOE will identify 12 to 15 high school students to create the videos. The project itself will provide real-world workplace experience as the students fill the role of writers, producers, technicians, and related positions for the creation and distribution of the videos.

“These aspirational videos will show students which industries have a growing number of jobs in our region,” said Superintendent Barbara Nemko, “and what the pathway to a career in these areas require. Whether it’s postsecondary education, training or work experience, they will learn what the pathway to employment looks like in Napa.”

“As a valued educational partner in the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay’s Bright Futures initiative, we congratulate the recipients of these grants,” said Bruce Wilson, WANB Executive Director. “We are excited to showcase the results of the students’ video production efforts on the Bright Futures website and in our other efforts, so young people throughout the region can benefit from learning about career pathways.”