There is an unfilled gap of mid-level skilled talent in Stanislaus County.

The Central Valley has an insufficiency of community members who have attained higher education degrees and advanced scientific training. What is not lacking, however, is a large talent pool of unskilled or minimally skilled persons who keep our above-average sized service economy operational. For a technical industry to function and thrive, a threshold of mid-level talent needs to bridge the gap between the lower and upper echelons of skill and education. The Stanislaus 2030 Investment Blueprint acknowledges the void found at the mid-level when it states, “employers consistently express frustration over the accessibility, responsiveness, and alignment of supports in sourcing mid-skill talent across industries and occupations.” Upward mobility in terms of education, aptitude, and ability can be fostered within our existing community talent pool, but there appears to be a disconnect between either opportunity or willingness to do so. Relevant, transferable skills are going to be essential to the inception and furtherance of a biomanufacturing industry in our region. Proactive workforce development programs, along with adjacent industry partners with capacity to educate and train in-house, could be instrumental in preparing mid-skill talent pools capable of addressing the already identified shortage. Likely, there are partnership, organizational, and as yet unidentified avenues of opportunities for the growth of a supportive industry offshoot capable of facilitating workforce upskilling.