NEWPORT BEACH - Orange County faces a critical shortage of skilled workers for some of the best-paid jobs in manufacturing, health care and information technology, according to a report released Thursday.

“This is a troubling trend, given that these three are key drivers of future economic development,” Lucy Dunn, president and CEO of the Orange County Business Council, and Bob Bunyan, chairman of the county’s Workforce Investment Board, warned in a letter accompanying the 78-page report.

Despite Orange County’s prosperity, “a growing and persistent skills gap threatens continued success,” they wrote. “Even as unemployment rates continue to drop, employers face rising difficulties in filling positions.”

Why the skills gap? The report highlights two factors: education and housing.

Most future high-paying jobs in Orange County will be in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math), including biomedical technology, software development, computer gaming, consumer electronics and electronic component manufacturing, the report predicts.

Local colleges are graduating more students with STEM degrees but, as is the case nationally, not enough to meet the demand.

One key challenge: Good jobs require fluent English. In Orange County, 26 percent of students are classified as “English-learners,” more than the statewide average of 23 percent.

Meanwhile, even when students do graduate with STEM skills, a dire housing shortage, and the resulting high cost of renting or owning, is driving many of them out of Orange County. (Source: Orange County Register)

Story Date: October 30, 2015