About
Next Level
Opportunity Stanislaus Campaign
Next Level – Together!
Opportunity Stanislaus is pleased to introduce a new five-year program of work that will help us get to the next level together. We are ready to take the next step to work with key stakeholders in our region to boost the quality of life and make Stanislaus County and the Northern San Joaquin Valley region a place where people want to live and raise their families.
The timing couldn’t be better! A global pandemic reinforced the importance of working together. As an organization, we are ready to step forward to make an even bigger difference in achieving greater economic vitality for all. The same pandemic has created new paradigms which benefit our region. People are looking for a place with more space and affordability. Employers are searching for sites that will give them access to large California markets but at a lower price and with more room to grow.
Some might wonder why economic development is so important. Not only does the work of the economic developer support business and its desire to grow and succeed, but it also helps all our local citizens have better jobs, enjoy better pay and have more resources to provide for their families. In fact, over the past five years, we attracted more than 3,000 new jobs to the local economy. Meanwhile, as the digital economy gains steam, we need to change and grow with that economy.
We need to preserve all the good things about our local economy, but we also need to aim higher to attract the jobs of the future and create cultural and recreational assets that young professionals want. The times are changing, and younger workers have more employment opportunities now than ever before. If we want to attract talent, we need to provide the lifestyle and job opportunities that young talent demands!
This plan includes five initiatives: Expanding VOLT Institute, Leading Business Driven Talent Development, Improving Economic Vitality in Our Community, Growing Local Businesses, and Driving Public Policy & Advocacy for Stronger Business Growth.
We invite you to be part of this important plan to improve the economy of Stanislaus County and the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Together we can make this a place where people want to be, a place where companies can succeed, and a community dedicated to a wonderful quality of life for themselves, their families, and their friends. Our new Opportunity Stanislaus – Next Level Together plan is how we plan on reaching the “next level” of a better economy for all.
Campaign Initiatives
Train high-quality candidates to enter the workforce primarily in the manufacturing sector, with skills that are in demand by industries in the Northern San Joaquin Valley region.
Enhance the skills of the existing regional workforce while simultaneously elevating recruitment practices to improve hiring and retention outcomes at local businesses.
Lead efforts to attract new companies from our target market segments, grow jobs from our current high- value businesses, and look to lead or partner in a limited number of significant projects with major payoffs to Stanislaus County, leading to increased income levels and improved quality of life for all our citizens.
Create and deliver mentoring and programming resulting in continuous improvement and innovation of small businesses in Stanislaus County by providing expert, no-cost business advising, low-cost workshops and small business trainings.
Lead the county and region in data-driven public policy initiatives to draw attention to and influence policy decisions supporting business growth and advocating for a better business climate statewide.