Kern Coalition - California Jobs First

Join the Kern Coalition in developing an equitable economic future for our region!

We are working together to bring good, quality jobs to Kern County through California Jobs First (formerly the Community Economic Resilience Fund).

 

What's New

	Closed: RFP for Catalyst Fund The Kern Community College District (KCCD) on behalf of the Kern Coalition is soliciting proposals for activities related to high-quality job creation, workforce training, and technological innovations. Applicants can request between $200,000 to $1.5 million in funding for “pre-development activities” such as feasibility studies, project design, technological demonstration pilots, and more. In addition to completing the application, organizations must submit a 12-month work plan and budget outlining how they will allocate their prospective Catalyst Funding from September 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Find out more at RFP for Catalyst Fund - Vendor Application Requests.
	Catalyst RFP Technical Assistance Sessions Join one of our Catalyst Technical Assistance sessions to learn more about how to refine your project ideas. See upcoming session information at the Catalyst Technical Assistance Session Calendar.
	Closed: Sector Investment Coordinator Request for Resume and Letter of Interest Update 4/2/2025: Thank you for submitting your resumes and letters of interest. This request is now closed. Working on behalf of the Kern Coalition - the Kern County region participant of the State of California’s California Jobs First Regional Initiative- The Kern Community College District (“KCCD”, "Kern CCD", "District") is soliciting proposals from qualified consultants or vendors experienced in providing robust technical assistance to advance strategic regional economic objectives for the priority sectors outlined in the Kern California Jobs First Regional Plan Part 2 for the duration of the Catalyst phase of the California Jobs First’s Regional Investment Initiative through September 30, 2026. Find out more at Sector Investment Coordinator Request - Vendor Application Requests.

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California's Strategic Sectors

For up-to-date information on California Jobs First initiatives, visit the California Jobs First website. To take a look at strategic sectors the State is looking at, download the California State Economic Blueprint (PDF).

For a text only version of this section, visit the California Strategic Sectors text-only page.

Strengthen

Sectors where California has an established competitive position and/or significant employment, but where there is leveling growth or wages.

 

Accelerate

Sectors with moderate to high projected growth that are ready for expansion, where additional investments (e.g., capital, infrastructure) could “bend the curve” to generate growth.

 

Bet

Emerging sectors with significant investment or high strategic importance to the innovation ecosystem.

 

Anchor

Regional anchors that are critical for attracting and supporting industry activities while often providing quality, good-paying jobs within local communities.

 

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RFP for Catalyst Fund

The Kern Community College District (KCCD) on behalf of the Kern Coalition is soliciting proposals for activities related to high-quality job creation, workforce training, and technological innovations. Applicants can request between $200,000 to $1.5 million in funding for “pre-development activities” such as feasibility studies, project design, technological demonstration pilots, and more. In addition to completing the application, organizations must submit a 12-month work plan and budget outlining how they will allocate their prospective Catalyst Funding from September 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

Applications for the California Jobs First Catalyst Fund close April 9.

 

View the official posting here: RFPs and Bids - Procurement 

También puede ver la RFP y completar la solicitud en español – Solicitud de Propuestas del Proyecto Catalizador

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Subregional Project Incubators: Upcoming Meetings

 

Find more information and dates for Project Incubator meetings being held in your subregion at Upcoming Meetings.

 

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Empowering Kern, Building Futures:
The California Jobs First Summit

 

Thank you for helping to make our Empowering Kern, Building Futures: The California Jobs First Summit a success! To view the recorded webinar in English, Spanish or Punjabi, visit the Zoom page: The California Jobs First Summit Webinar

 

 

 

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Addendum to the Regional Plan Part 1

The addendum to the Regional Plan Part 1 addresses feedback from the State to build on the initial Regional Plan Part 1.

Both the addendum and State feedback are found below.

State Feedback on the Regional Plan Part 1 (English)

Addendum to the Regional Plan Part 1 (English)

 

State Feedback on the Regional Plan Part 1 (Spanish)

Addendum to the Regional Plan Part 1 (Spanish)

 

State Feedback on the Regional Plan Part 1 (Punjabi)

Addendum to the Regional Plan Part 1 (Punjabi)

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Regional Plan Part 1

This plan was produced by UC Merced and reflects their recommendations to the Kern Coalition. The Regional Plan Part 1 is a living document that will continue to be further developed.

Regional Plan Part 1 - English (PDF)
Regional Plan Part 1 - Spanish (PDF)
Regional Plan Part 1 - Punjabi (PDF)

 

You can provide your input through the feedback form below or at your subregion's upcoming Subregional Collaborative meeting.

Regional Plan Part 1: Feedback Form (English)
Regional Plan Part 1: Feedback Form (Spanish)
Regional Plan Part 1: Feedback Form (Punjabi)

 

Read more additional resources that have informed the Kern Coalition in developing and carrying out our local
California Jobs First initiative and the Regional Plan Part 1:

Regional Plan Part 1 - Additional Resources

 

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Governance Council 

 

On November 29th, 2023, a county-wide election was held for each subregion to elect their representatives.

Visit the Governance Council page to see who will represent you as we collaborate in building an inclusive economic and workforce development infrastructure for Kern County.

 

The induction of the Kern Coalition California Jobs First Governance Council was held January 11th, 2024. 

Watch the ceremony recording on Zoom: Kern Coalition California Jobs First Governance Council Induction Ceremony

 

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How California Jobs First is Evolving

The Kern Coalition is dedicated to making sure the effort to bring good jobs to Kern County involves all kinds of people, from every region of our county. We are committed to a fair process where we engage deeply with the community to refine our proposals and bring job development funds to our region.

 

 

*Information may change as the CERF infrastructure continues to evolve.

Visit this page for a text-only version of the graphic: Graphic - Regional Conveners

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How the Kern Coalition is bringing good-quality jobs to Kern County:

 

	English		Español
	Tagalog		Punjabi

 

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About the Kern Coalition

The Kern Coalition was formed with a vision to bring good, quality jobs to Kern County, particularly to the areas that need it the most.

In 2021, the State of California announced the CERF (Community Economic Resiliency Fund) Program, now known as California Jobs First. This program will distribute $600 million across the state, to go toward economic recovery and growth. The funds are being distributed by a competitive grant process, which means each region has to put together a plan and then apply for funding from the state.

Here in Kern County, our goal is to create a grant proposal for funding that includes everyone’s voice. Our mission is to have people of all ages, backgrounds, job types and opinions come together and imagine a better future for our community.

Read more about the background, goals and timeline of the Kern Coalition: About the Kern Coalition

 

 

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Newsletter Signup

The Kern Coalition sends updates about events, meeting info, resources and news to our newsletter mailing list.

Sign Up for the Newsletter

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Get Involved

Individuals

Anyone of any age with any background is welcome to join the Kern Coalition. Getting involved means signing up for our newsletter, connecting on social media, and joining our regular subregional collaborative meetings to share your insights about what our county needs for a bright economic future.

These meetings will take place over the next year and a half as the Kern Coalition works with the community to assemble a proposal to submit to the State of California, with the goal of bringing good, quality jobs to Kern County, particularly in areas that need it most.

To make it easy for everyone to attend, the county has been split into five subregions - North, South, Central, East and West. See the “Find Your Subregion” section below to locate your subregion and join the next meeting in your area.

Organizations

The Kern Coalition welcomes local organizations to join us in our mission to bring good jobs to our community. Our current list of partners can be found on the About Us page.

These partners submitted Collective Partnership Agreement Letters (CPALs) when the Kern Coalition applied for grant funds in order to jumpstart the planning process.

If you would like to submit a letter or have questions about how to get involved with the Kern Coalition, email KernCERF@kccd.edu.

You can find a copy of the template letter on the Resources page.

 

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Find Your Subregion

Which of the five subregions do you live and work in?

Find your subregion below:

 

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Connect on Social Media

 

Kern Coalition Facebook

Kern Coalition Twitter

Kern Coalition Instagram

Kern Coalition Linkedin