Workforce Thrives in Tracy
Despite the difficulties businesses are experiencing in finding and retaining quality employees, Tracy continues to foster a specialized and growing labor force - making it an attractive location for business growth and expansion. In the current economy, a strong labor pool of knowledgeable, flexible, and dedicated workers is critical to business survival and success. Companies locate in communities with a growing population of educated, skilled, and available workers. The void left by retiring baby boomers, combined with the mass exodus of workers driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, has not been adequately filled by younger workers. On the upside, California's unemployment rates have been trending low, with 4.6% reported in April 2022.
As businesses throughout the country struggle to fill job vacancies, Tracy, CA, located where the Bay Area meets the San Joaquin Valley, continues to attract and grow its business base. Tracy has invested in developing a workforce pipeline for next-generation workers. The City’s strategic partnerships with Tracy Unified School District, Prologis, Delta Community College District, Tracy Chamber of Commerce, and San Joaquin WorkNet have all contributed to modernizing the growing labor force to meet 21st century industry needs.
Rapid Growth
Tracy is a thriving and rapidly growing community. The City experienced a 74% increase in population since 2000, and is quickly approaching 100,000 residents. With jobs following residential patterns, Tracy has seen a large number of companies like Medline, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Volumetric Building Companies, Amazon, Zinus, and Home Depot fulfillment relocate to or expand in the City. These companies recognize the Tracy advantage of being located in one of the fastest growing regions in the State, while also being in the center of the Northern California Megaregion.
Several recent housing projects underscore Tracy’s growth. Tracy Hills is a master planned community that will bring over 7,000 homes as an all-inclusive planned development, with 80 acres of parks, 58 acres of commercial, retail, and office space and 3,535 acres of conservation habitat land. Ellis is another master planned community with several thousand residential units in the pipeline. Meanwhile, multifamily projects like Vela Apartments will add 264 units with some inclusionary units to support local workforce housing. Jointly, Tracy has over 5,800 residential units approved and under construction in the development pipeline.
Workforce Development Pipeline
Tracy's dynamic labor force is supported by various training programs that meet the needs of local industry sectors. Tracy Unified School District (TUSD) is a regional leader in programs that immerse STEM and Career and Technical Education (CTE) into daily learning. TUSD has been the recipient of two federal grants that target STEM instruction. In each case, TUSD was one of roughly 25 school districts in the entire nation to receive the grants.
“We want to offer opportunities for students to provide them with skills and develop their interests so they can decide what their future could look like, whether that means attending college or getting into a career,” said Superintendent Brian Stephens. “You never know what might be that deciding factor for a student to pursue a specific career.”
TUSD also provides career pathway opportunities for its students. Each high school specializes in one area, with local businesses participating in job shadowing and internship opportunities. For example, Merrill F. West High School’s Space & Engineering Academy is a four-year program to prepare students for college studies and careers in science, engineering and technology. It includes popular programs like the summer Academy Boot Camp and the Wolfpack Robotics Club. Another example is the Tracy High School Fire Service Program. Students gain critical knowledge and skills through classwork, simulations, real-world experiences, and drills, which will apply to fire services, emergency medical services, wildland services, and emergency management careers.
“As a result, the TUSD is the first school district in Northern California to be able to say every student gets some STEM instruction every day,” said TUSD Superintendent Brian Stephens. “We work with experts from around the nation and can truly say STEM is our DNA now.”
Regionally, the San Joaquin Office of Education CTE Program utilizes learning academies, apprenticeship programs, regional occupational centers, and tech-prep programs to provide youth a look into their future. Students participate through public and private high schools in areas of study that will also provide them with college credit and certifications in high-demand technical careers. Students spend part of their week in classrooms and the rest of the week in a public or private sector workplace, significantly improving the transition from school life to working life. Programs cover numerous career pathways in 15 industry sectors, including agriculture, arts and entertainment, construction, engineering, hospitality, manufacturing, and other technical fields.
High school students also benefit from the Tracy Chamber of Commerce Hire Me First Program, a collaboration between employers and educators to prepare students for employment. High school juniors and seniors learn communication skills, work ethic, internship training, and interview skills. In addition, they have access to Dual Enrollment and College Early Start Programming with San Joaquin Delta College.
Connecting Workers and Employers
Having a reliable supply of workers is particularly impactful when infrastructure is in place to link them with employers. The City of Tracy has spearheaded these efforts with development of the Mayor’s Youth Employment and Empowerment Program, which will connect high school students to internship opportunities. The pilot for this program is being tested this summer with interns at City Hall. The City has also been active in the work placement space with industry partnerships for local job fairs and hiring events. Lastly, as a member of iHUB San Joaquin, Tracy participates in an annual Hackathon, a coding event aimed at teaching high school students skills needed for careers in tech.
Prologis, the largest landlord in the City, has also been active in the workforce development space. Through its Community Workforce Initiative, Prologis has a training program that revitalizes career paths and creates economic opportunity for workers. The program’s goal is to equip 25,000 individuals with the skills necessary for jobs in transportation, distribution and logistics by the end of 2025. Prologis has designed a digital learning and development program to build competencies for today’s logistics workforce with courses incorporate the latest technologies, including virtual reality tools.
Several organizations in Tracy have also been active in the employee advancement and skill development space. San Joaquin County WorkNet provides services for jobseekers and employers alike. The San Joaquin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a one-stop shop for accelerating small business success. In 2021, San Joaquin SBDC helped nearly 600 clients stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic while accessing $6 million in capital for businesses that provided a meaningful impact on the community.
Looking Ahead
Tracy is a forward-thinking community with business-friendly environment, strong growth, competitive incentives, and a vision for its future. With an eye on creating a workforce to support local companies and innovation, Tracy is well positioned to meet the 21st century needs of the business community.
