Career Services secures $1 million grant to prepare students for workforce of the future

San Diego State University, California State University (CSU) San Marcos and the San Diego Workforce Partnership have launched a regional workforce initiative to prepare students for careers in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and rapidly evolving workplace skills.

Supported by a $1 million Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant administered by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and with SDSU Career Services serving as the regional hub, the initiative will expand career readiness programming for students ages 14-21 while creating stronger connections among K-12 schools, community colleges, universities and employers across San Diego County.

The investment also highlights SDSU Career Services’ ongoing strategic shift in measuring impact by employment outcomes. This new framework is guided by the adoption of student development career competencies outlined in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which identifies the human and technical skills expected to be most critical in the coming decade.

Through the initiative, Career Services will focus on developing seven core competencies among students, including Resilience and Adaptability, Analytical Thinking, Creative Thinking, AI & Technological Literacy, Leadership and Social Influence, Motivation and Self-Awareness, Empathy and Active Listening.

“The future of workforce development depends on regional collaboration, measurable impact, and the ability to adapt as workforce needs evolve. We must move beyond counting activities and instead, measure employment outcomes,” said Daniel Newell, executive director of SDSU Career Services. “By aligning with the World Economic Forum's future-ready skills and focusing our greatest investments on students with the greatest need, we're building equitable talent pipelines and creating lasting economic impact for our communities.”

Following a hub-and-spoke model, SDSU Career Services will collaborate with the CSU San Marcos Career Center as a sub-awardee, as well as the San Diego Community College District, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, San Diego Unified School District, and Southwestern College to expand career services and work-based learning opportunities throughout the county.

The initiative will provide satellite career services at partner campuses, integrate AI literacy into career preparation, and expand access to internships, employer engagement and workforce development resources. Services will prioritize students who face barriers to employment, including low-income students, students with disabilities, former foster youth, English learners, justice-involved youth, and students experiencing homelessness.

“This investment will allow the CSUSM Career Center to expand career readiness and work-based learning opportunities for students while reducing financial barriers that often limit access to those experiences,” said Yasmine Farley, director of the CSU San Marcos Career Center. "Through this partnership, we'll connect more students to meaningful career exploration, paid opportunities, employer engagement, and the future-ready skills needed to succeed in an evolving workforce."

The partnership also advances broader regional and statewide workforce goals by creating more seamless educational pathways and strengthening collaboration among CSU campuses and community college partners. This is in alignment with Chancellor Mildred Garcia's strategic plan called CSU Forward, for creating regional systemness across CSU campuses. This also aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California master plan for career education in creating regional alignment and collaboration.

“Talent is everywhere in San Diego County, but opportunity isn't,” said Rachel Bereza, President and CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership. “Every young person deserves access to pursue a career they care about, regardless of where they live or the challenges they've faced. “These investments strengthen trusted community organizations that are already doing that work every day, helping ensure more young people can build brighter futures while strengthening our region for generations to come.”

The award marks SDSU Career Services' third federal subcontract and third institutional designation as a service provider of federally authorized workforce development programming. This contract contributes to Career Services' current workforce portfolio of over $6 million.

This $1 million grant to SDSU Career Services is part of more than $4 million in WIOA funding administered by the SDWP to support in-school and out-of-school youth facing barriers to education and employment. The countywide initiative is being celebrated Aug. 26 with a free, open-to-the-public Youth Showcase, hosted by South Bay Community Services.