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).

RFP: Strategy Development and Project Management

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is for the Kern Community College District (“KCCD”, "Kern CCD", "District") on behalf of the Kern Coalition to solicit proposals from qualified consultants or vendors specializing in community-based planning and economic development to support the development of an economic strategy as part of the CA Jobs First Planning Phase II. 

RFP's and Bids: Strategy Development and Project Management

Sign up on Public Purchase or contact purchasing@kccd.edu with any questions regarding your proposal. Details on signing up for Public Purchase are available in the full RFP document.

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

Upcoming Subregional Collaborative Meetings

Meeting Times and Locations

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

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

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

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

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.

Find Your Subregion

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

Find your subregion below:

Upcoming Meetings

March meetings for the Regional Investment Initiative (formerly known as CERF) are postponed.
 
The focus for this month is identifying our Strategy Development partner who will be assisting the Kern Coalition in incorporating all feedback to our Regional Plan 1 and begin the process for developing the Regional Investment Initiative Planning Phase II Plan. You can find more information at the Request for Proposals page.

We look forward to continued engagement and collaboration as we collectively develop the regional economic strategy for Kern County.

Connect on Social Media

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Kern Coalition Linkedin