San Diego CA— As the next step in its effort to help struggling San Diegans secure quality jobs and launch meaningful careers amid COVID-19, the San Diego Workforce Partnership has released a new actionable video series that provides frameworks, prompts and guidance around obtaining a quality job and launching a meaningful career. Our Ikigai is a series of videos designed to help San Diegans identify personalized job opportunities and encourage a holistic approach to job hunting that focuses on more than a paycheck, although recognizing that is important too.

• Data shows that more than 130,000 San Diegans lost their jobs over the last year due to COVID-19
• San Diego Workforce Partnership’s ‘Our Ikigai’ to support current and future workers to make informed decisions on their career path
• Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being” and helps people align interests, preferences and skills with available career options
• Benefits include connecting individuals to quality job opportunities with high stability, growth and self-sufficient wages

Centered on the Japanese concept of Ikigai which means “a reason for being,” the concept is a powerful key for individuals to use when planning their next career move. It aligns values, interests, preferences and what they love doing with quality job opportunities. It promotes job quality among San Diego job seekers rooted in the following values:

1. Interest and preferences (what you love)
2. Labor market information (what you can be paid for)
3. Knowledge, skills and abilities (what employers need)
4. Job quality (What you need)

Through research-backed assessments, data and tools, this framework will help people find quality jobs that sit at the intersection of what they love and care about and what others need or care about.
“An estimated quarter million San Diegans lost their jobs due to COVID-19 which is why it’s imperative to create a tool like the Ikigai framework,” says Peter Callstrom, CEO at San Diego Workforce Partnership. “Combined with the tools available at workforce.org/mynextmove, San Diegans are now not only connected to available job opportunities, but have the tools and resources to explore and secure careers that are meaningful and align with their values, needs and preferences.”
How it Works

1. Individuals take an assessment to understand their career personality type and working style. This research-backed tool helps match people with jobs that fall within their interests and likes.
2. Labor market information provided by the San Diego Workforce Partnership is used to better understand the job opportunities that match a person’s interest. Career Coach helps individuals identify what skills they need to be successful in their desired fields and connects them with opportunities for further career development.
3. By using the platform’s job quality framework, individuals can assess which job best fits their most important needs. The framework includes job necessities (like stable scheduling and living wages), job opportunities (room for growth) and job features (like benefits).

For more information visit workforce.org/

About the San Diego Workforce Partnership

The Workforce Partnership is the leader for innovative workforce solutions in San Diego County. It funds and delivers job training programs that enable all job seekers to develop the skills and knowledge needed for in-demand careers. The Workforce Partnership also provides ongoing labor market research on the region’s workforce trends and key industries. Its vision is to ensure that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment. For more information, visit workforce.org.