Economic Vitality Council Meeting -- RESCHEDULED

Forward Focus
We need your help to align the work of our Business & Workforce Development and International Development Committees with several strategic areas so we can optimize our resources and outcomes. This is your opportunity to weigh in and shape our work moving forward.

Here are the topics we will be covering. Please take a look ahead of time so you are ready and armed with ideas and solutions for our August EVC!

Question 1: Given that the Chamber has assembled and makes available many business resources online and offline (Business Outreach Resource Guide, websites, and cultural awareness training), how can we encourage more companies to:

Take advantage of our cultural training resources?
Outreach to small and medium-sized businesses that may need help the most?
Help our companies manage the 21^st century challenges in trade and cybersecurity arenas?

Question 2: How can we best promote the wide range of life science and technology sector job opportunities among our student population?

How do we most effectively encourage and connect internships in companies with students and students with company internships?
What role do you see the Chamber playing in this effort to acquaint students with career choices?
How can the Chamber help influence career technical skill training for those less inclined to pursue four year degrees?

Question 3: Knowing the characteristics of our global life science and technology companies, why do you believe a traditional job fair is the best solution to help companies attract and hire talent?

What methodology should be employed to learn company hiring practices and gauge the interest in such an event?
What information do we want from HR divisions that will best inform our choice of strategies to help companies recruit talent?
Who are the most likely organizations that we can collaborate with to produce such an event?

Question 4: Knowing that Irvine is already engaged in building new housing options (delayed by the recession) and knowing that our companies need housing options to attract and retain talent, what can the Chamber do to help companies manage and mitigate this challenge during recruitment?

What could the Chamber do to help retain the talent being generated by our colleges and universities in Irvine/OC?
How can we connect with company HR divisions to confirm the challenges and offer solutions?
Assuming that our companies would actually deploy a resource developed by the Chamber to help people explore their housing options within a 20 mile radius of Irvine, what online and/or offline resources could be developed that would help HR divisions answer questions and help candidates make choices?