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Gavin Newsom in Redding unveils jobs program that bridges rural, urban California

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Gavin Newsom in Redding unveils jobs program that bridges rural, urban California

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Gov. Gavin Newsom came to Redding on Monday to unveil a statewide jobs program that he said was a bipartisan effort that included participation from rural and urban regions of California.

The career pathways initiative, or Master Plan for Career Education, was unveiled by the governor and others who spoke at Shasta College inside the two-year school’s welding shop in the 2600 wing of the campus.

In coming to Redding, Newsom highlighted key strategies of the North State Regional Plan, one of 13 regional California Jobs First plans developed with the help of colleges like Shasta and other community stakeholders.

The economic blueprint for the initiative will be released in early 2025 along with $120 million to support ready-to-go job-creating projects across the state within the next three years, a news release accompanying Newsom’s visit said.

The road to Tuesday’s announcement started formally in 2021 with the establishment of a $250 million grant through the California Regional K-16 Education Collaborative, Newsom said.

“What was unique and distinctive about that grant … is that every region in the state, 13 distinctive regions, received the exact same amount of money, $18 million — L.A, 18 million, North State, 18 million. It didn’t matter what part of the state you were in. There was a framework that we are all in this together,” Newsom said.

Underscoring the bipartisan work, freshman North State Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick, a Republican, spoke Monday.

“I’m a proud alumni of Shasta College and Chico State, so it’s pretty surreal to be in the room talking about how our future is going to shape for our youth,” Hadwick said. “I was one of those kids that they’re targeting for this.”

Hadwick talked about her rural upbringing in Modoc County.

“Career pathways are what we have. We know that we have to show our youth what’s out there and that they don’t always see that at home, so I’m very excited. The conversations were great today. I’m excited to see us get to work,” she said.

She said the career education framework will connect high school and college students and others with North State employers through apprenticeships and job training programs in fields such as education, health care and renewable energy.

After the Monday news conference, Hadwick also released a statement:

“It was a nice surprise to be invited to the roundtable discussion with Governor Newsom and local leaders in education and career pathways. I took this opportunity to talk about the continued challenges we have in our rural schools in the North State. No matter what side of the table we sit on, I think that we can all agree that we need to invest in our youth and our future workforce.  There is so much more work to be done and I hope that the Governor and his team leave with a better understanding of what disadvantaged rural communities face.” 

Also in attendance at Monday’s event was incoming Shasta County Supervisor Matt Plummer.

“I think it’s super important that the county has a good working relationship with the state and it’s a unique occurrence for the governor to come to Shasta County and elevate the work that’s happening here,” Plummer said. “So it’s important for local leadership to support that and become a part of the ongoing conversation with the governor as much as possible.”

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

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