Governor Gavin Newsom visited Orange County as part of his California Jobs First tour, highlighting the impact of nearly $1.6 billion invested in 2025 to train over 142,000 workers and create more than 61,000 new jobs across California’s 13 economic regions. The initiative is designed to boost economic growth by supporting regional strategies and expanding job opportunities in key sectors.
The event also marked the celebration of Orange County’s Jobs First regional plan, which focuses on advancing industries such as life science, high-tech, advanced manufacturing, precision manufacturing, and travel and tourism.
“California is proving once again that when we invest in people and innovation, we build an economy that works for everyone. Jobs First is driving historic progress in every region of the state by backing regional priorities, doubling down on key industries, and creating opportunities for Californians where they live and work.
These plans were built from the ground up by local partners, for their communities. From tribal nations and rural regions to major economic hubs, California is leading the nation with economic development shaped by the people it’s meant to serve.”
— Governor Gavin Newsom
The California Jobs First program began as a statewide planning process launched by Newsom in 2021. By 2023 it had evolved into a comprehensive initiative involving diverse community partners who developed data-driven plans tailored to each region. The resulting Economic Blueprint identifies ten strategic industry sectors aligned with local priorities.
Notable investments made through this initiative include $80 million awarded in August 2025 to projects focused on aerospace, defense, life sciences, agtech, and farm equipment; $15 million granted to Native American tribes for job training and business development; $3 million provided for wildfire recovery efforts supporting tourism and small businesses; tax credits given to companies relocating or expanding within California; support for film and television productions expected to generate nearly $5 billion in activity; over $82 million invested through employment training contracts; more than $91 million directed toward apprenticeships benefiting over 69,000 individuals; targeted funding for High Road Training Partnerships aimed at underserved populations; grants supporting small business exports worldwide; and initiatives promoting emerging fields like quantum technology.
“This year showed what California can accomplish when state agencies, regional collaboratives and local partners rally around shared priorities,” said GO-Biz Director Dee Dee Myers. “Jobs First is aligning sector investments and business development in ways that create measurable, lasting impact for communities up and down the state. The progress made in 2025 is only the beginning, and we look forward to supporting the next wave of high-impact projects across all thirteen regions.”
“Through California Jobs First, we’re strengthening the pathways that connect people to stable careers in growing industries. In 2025, we expanded training, apprenticeship, and regional partnerships across California,” said Stewart Knox, Secretary of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. “This year, we’re scaling that work so more Californians can access clear routes into good-paying jobs.”
In Orange County specifically—the site of this week’s event—the medtech industry remains vital with over 21,000 employees locally out of more than 13,600 medtech companies statewide.
Throughout last year state officials engaged directly with leaders from multiple regions about their unique needs while facilitating investment summits where project leads could pitch ideas to private funders.
A significant step was also taken with the release of a Master Plan for Career Education aiming to align workforce skills with projected job growth areas identified under Jobs First goals. The plan seeks to serve half a million apprentices by 2029.
Governor Newsom signed legislation streamlining construction processes for critical housing and economic projects while updating guidance on economic development planning at state level. New tools such as web-mapping resources now help businesses identify ready-to-develop sites suitable for headquarters or manufacturing facilities.
Looking ahead into summer 2026 another round of implementation funding will be distributed along with further investment summits intended to attract additional private support.
Newsom has consistently engaged communities throughout California seeking unity around shared challenges while working towards efficient governance (https://www.gov.ca.gov/about/). As governor since his election in 2018 (https://www.gov.ca.gov/about/), he has emphasized policies promoting education reform as well as environmental protection alongside efforts like Jobs First designed to drive broad-based opportunity (https://www.gov.ca.gov/about/).
California continues its status as one of the world’s largest economies—ranking fourth globally—and remains a leader nationally in new business starts as well as venture capital funding across several key industries.
