Category Archives: Workforce

State of the City 2013: “Imagine What We Can Accomplish By Working Together”

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On January 24, 2013, Riverside’s 17th mayor, William “Rusty” Bailey, delivered his first State of the City address to an audience of residents, business owners, fellow educators, current and past elected officials, several of his students, and his family. 

“Through my conversations of the state of our city, I discovered this: the state of our city is responsive and responsible, dynamic and sustainable, inclusive and intelligent. These are the words that I believe best describe and exemplify OUR city.”

Mayor William "Rusty" BaileyThat statement set the tone for the new mayor’s articulations of his commitments and vision for Riverside, and he referenced three themes that he not only integrated into his address and (per Bailey) will continue to refer to throughout his time in office: Gratitude, Leadership Philosophy, and Challenge.

“My philosophy on leadership is simple: lead by example and take care of your troops,” explained Bailey. “Integrity, vision, courage and passion are all characteristics that motivate me daily, and it is my mission that these characteristics will define Riverside’s leadership and for which Riverside will be known throughout the region, the state, our country and the world. If we all share the philosophy of a servant leader, imagine what we can accomplish working together in public and private enterprise.”

As his inaugural address, naturally this is the instance in which the mayor’s expectations of city employees are set.  However, the 6th generation resident added a slightly different and more personal touch for the audience to contemplate.  What would their role be? What are they doing to make their lives and Riverside a better place? What can they do?  Bailey acknowledged that Riverside needed the engagement, support and leadership of our community to make these things happen.

“Better together;” doing things “The Riverside Way”.

“We have our own style here, our swagger…but I call it, The Riverside Way,” to which Mayor Bailey described as

  • Collaborative…we are ‘better together’
  • Welcoming…we make new people feel at ease and at home; old Riverside accepts new Riverside like no other
  • Relational…meaningful conversations build meaningful relationships

“My challenge to you is to believe in the Riverside Way, and to commit yourself and to make yourself available to the Riverside Way in 2013. Available to serve your family, available to serve your neighborhoods, and available to serve YOUR city,” challenged Bailey. “To do this, we build upon the four pillars of our strategic plan, Seizing Our Destiny: Intelligent Growth, Catalyst for Innovation, Location of Choice and Unified City.” (Click here to read Riverside’s definitions for each.)

Bailey’s commitments for 2013 included:

Intelligent Growth

  • Leveraging our relationships with Sister Cities to create economic opportunities for Riverside
  • Making weekly school and business visits
  • Keeping the UCR School of Medicine Creation a top priority
  • Continuation of the Education Roundtable to continue the work of Completion Counts and create new approaches to ensure we are enabling our students to be the best and brightest
  • Organizing a Business Roundtable to create policy and programs that help Riverside businesses create jobs for our community

Catalyst for Innovation

  • Increasing green and sustainable programs and businesses in Riverside
  • Creating an Innovation Center on Main Street Riverside that supports new entrepreneurs and start-up businesses
  • Supporting the creation of the Riverside Entrepreneurial Academy with the four universities and colleges in Riverside to grow our own entrepreneurs

Location of Choice

  • Telling Our Story: “ensuring the Riverside we know and love becomes the Riverside that everyone knows and loves; we are a new side of classic California”
  • Developing a 21st century transportation network, including a streetcar plan to help college students have easier access to our retail centers and entertainment hubs

Unified City

  • Continuing Mayor’s Night Out and Walk with Mayor events
  • Spending time with each of the City Councilmembers in their Wards and with city staff in all departments
  • Continue building bridges and cultivating relationships to deepen our historic roots and promoting the Riverside Way
  • Promoting a healthier lifestyle for all Riversiders
  • Encouraging Riversiders to commit to helping others and the community

Mayor Bailey concluded his inaugural State of the City address with this challenge:

“What is your destiny in Riverside? This is YOUR city. This is YOUR moment. Whatever your destiny is, let’s achieve it together.  After all, THAT is the Riverside Way.”

To watch the full 2013 State of the City address, click here.

Students at UC Riverside Play Integral Role in Student Recreation Center Expansion Project

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(Includes excerpts from a December 19, 2012 article written by Ross French and published on UCR Today)

In December, UCR Today announced the start of construction on a $37.2 million expansion of its Student Recreation Center (SRC).  The project has been extensively student-driven, with both undergraduate and graduate students playing key roles in the research, development and execution of the expansion. Even the funding will come from a $149 per quarter fee that students approved in a referendum in 2010.

An artist’s rendering of the cardio area at the Student Recreation Center expansion. Source: UCR Today

An artist’s rendering of the cardio area at the Student Recreation Center expansion. Source: UCR Today

“From the beginning this has been a student driven project, and that’s why I think it has been a success,” said Jenni Deveau, a psychology graduate student and member of the Recreation Facilities Governing Board. “Students gave input on their experience at the current Rec Center and what they wanted for the future, they were given the choice through an election whether they wanted to implement these changes knowing the financial impact, and there has been student representation and input on all aspects of the design and construction of the new building.”

“The students have been in charge of the program and the purse strings all along,” UCR Campus Architect Don Caskey said. “They were an integral part of the project management committee. They were there every step of the way, through the detailed project program, the student referendum, the space programming and architectural design, and even when we were reviewing the bids that came in.”

To meet University of California green-building requirements, the new Recreation Center has been designed to meet LEED Silver Certification. Its features include lower operating costs, reduced waste sent to landfills, and energy and water conservation.

Of the new amenities being added, for many students the best part of the new facility will be the extensive aquatics complex, which will feature a lap pool, recreation pool and a vortex pool, which is a round pool that features a slight current that can be walked against as an aerobic workout.

Involving the student population in the planning, design and project management of a large-scale LEED construction project demonstrates the caliber of educational opportunities in Riverside, proving once again this community is a trendsetter in inventive and multi-disciplinary approaches in learning.

To read the full article as published on UCR Today, click here.

Riverside Celebrates the Official Unveiling of the UC Riverside School of Medicine Education Building

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Source: Kris Lovekin, UCR Today

Community supporters, elected officials and administrators gathered Thursday, Dec. 13 to celebrate the second building affiliated with the UCR School of Medicine.

Visitors toured the School of Medicine Education Building that has been renovated and transformed with a medical simulation laboratory, a 100-seat lecture hall, 10 patient examination rooms and small group discussion rooms. It includes a wall in the entryway that has been dedicated to Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Salma Haider for their ongoing support for the School of Medicine.

UCR Chancellor Timothy P. White talks with community members, including Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey and LaSierra University President Randal Wisby, about the classroom facilities of the School of Medicine. Photo by Peter Phun; source UCR Today.

UCR Chancellor Timothy P. White talks with community members, including Seizing Our Destiny Education Roundtable members Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey and La Sierra University President Randal Wisby, about the classroom facilities of the School of Medicine. Photo by Peter Phun; source UCR Today.

“This facility is not merely a building, or a node in the network of campus research, it is the builder of dreams, a vehicle to serve the urgent needs of our community,” said Chancellor Timothy P. White in what is one of his last official appearances at UC Riverside before he goes to lead the California State University system. “From this building will emerge dozens of physicians trained on the ground in this area – many of them local residents, who understand the experiences and the cultures of their patients.”

Founding School of Medicine Dean, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Seizing Our Destiny Champion G. Richard Olds described the simulation lab, where students, much like airline pilots, will learn and practice their skills on patient simulators created to mimic medical conditions and scenarios they are likely to encounter in the practice of medicine.

“Yes, this building has lecture halls, but our lecture halls will be used to a lesser degree than traditional medical schools,” Olds said. “Instead, we devoted a larger amount of square feet to small rooms, we call them Problem-Based Learning rooms, where students will actively solve problems, gaining and applying medical knowledge as they will need to when they become practicing physicians.”

It is because of this inventive, multi-disciplinary approach that the UC Riverside School of Medicine is a  ”Catalyst for Innovation“, serving as both a training ground for skilled medical professionals and as an economic engine for Riverside.

To read the full article published on UCR Today, click here.

SBA Faith-Based Small Business Summit Connects Leaders in Faith & Business

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Panel Discussion at the Faith-Based Small Business Summit

On October 11th, the U.S. Small Business Administration, AmPac Tri State CDC, the City of Riverside, the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center, the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center Riverside and several other partners hosted the 5th Annual Small Business Summit at the newly renovated Municipal Auditorium with the purpose of “Making the connection between faith & business”.

The Summit kicked-off with an update from Washington DC by keynote speaker Jerry Flavin from the SBA’s White House Office on Faith-Based Programs and Neighborhood Partnerships and a panel discussion. The event provided a unique opportunity for business owners and non-profit organizations at all stages to come together to network and learn from experts, speakers, and panelists committed to business growth. Attendees were also able to take advantage of workshops and one-on-one opportunities with lenders, SBA leaders and resource partners.

The SBA Faith Based Small Business Summit promotes collaborations and connections among businesses, nonprofit organizations, and faith congregations to provide resources and skill-building opportunities that engage the entrepreneurial spirit of business leaders and creates an even stronger foundation for small businesses in the local economy.

Click here to view the flyer from the event.

Click here to learn more about business resources from the City of Riverside Office of Economic Development.

SmartRiverside Awarded $25,000 Grant for Digital Inclusion Program

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SmartRiverside.orgIn June, 2012 SmartRiverside was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program to advance the Digital Inclusion Program in it’s goal of helping 10,000 low-income families receive free technology training, PCs, and internet access by 2014.

Through the State Giving Program supports organizations with programs that align with its mission to create opportunities for people to live better. The Foundation has four core giving areas: Education, Workforce Development/Economic Opportunity, Environmental Sustainability, and Health & Wellness, and encourages funding requests that align with these four areas of focus.

The Digital Inclusion Program is designed to bridge the Digital Divide in our local community and allows low-income families who do not have the available resources to take advantage of new technologies that can assist in improving their education, communication, and overall quality of life. The Program is built on a platform of reinforcement from public and private sector collaboration including Dell Computer, Microsoft, Cisco, Salvation Army, United Way, Riverside area school districts and county government.

It also strives to increase workforce capabilities by investing in the educational development of the youth who have yet to enter the workforce, as well as providing valuable retraining and learning opportunities for citizens of every generation that seek to upgrade their employment qualifications.

The emphasis on youth development is shown best through Project B.R.I.D.G.E. (Building Resources for the Intervention and Deterrence of Gang Engagement) which works within Digital Inclusion to provide valuable skills for at-risk youth while promoting gang deterrence.

Under the guidance of a full-time professional management team, at risk youth receive valuable technical training in an apprenticeship-style atmosphere. Participants acquire marketable skills that make them eligible for A+ certification and an opportunity for employment that can help them avoid a return to gang life. A total of 12 young men have worked part-time with the Digital Inclusion Program in the past year and three of those have already taken their new expertise beyond the program, through the classroom, and into the workforce; being hired by local companies as a computer technicians. Two former Project B.R.I.D.G.E members now co-manage the Digital Inclusion Program.

The $25,000 awarded through the Walmart State Giving Program will help to advance the program’s ability to provide free computers, training and internet access to low-income families and offer an array of discount options to assist moderate income families that do not qualify for a free computer under the financial guidelines.

Digital Inclusion is vital to the community because it provides access to the equipment and skills that give residents the ability to successfully compete in a quickly evolving, economic environment and will help to ensure that Riverside has a workforce prepared to fill the jobs that the City is already beginning to attract.


Learn more about SmartRiverside and the Digital Inclusion Program here.

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College Council of Riverside Focuses on the College Culture in the Community

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The College Council of Riverside (CCOR) is an advisory group of students from the four (CBU, LSU, RCC, UCR) higher education campuses working to promote Riverside as a “university community”.

The mission of CCOR is to encourage a “college” culture within the City through quality off-campus experiences, engaging activities, and connecting students and recent alumni to the region’s workforce through internships and potential jobs.

Some other goals and agenda items for CCOR include:

An example of both building cross campus relationships and connecting students to the community is the upcoming event titled, “The Amazing College Race: Riverside Edition.” This event will take place on Sunday January, 22 from 12:00-3:00pm in Downtown Riverside.

The Amazing College Race will give you and your friends a chance to compete against other Riverside college students in a scavenger hunt around Downtown Riverside for a chance to win a $300 book scholarship for each member of your team. Gather your friends, roommates, study buddies, sorority sister or anyone who’s up for some fun!  Pick a cool name, an awesome team leader, and register for only $20.  First 150 teams to register will receive a free T-shirt!

The registration deadline is January, 14  and costs $20 for teams of 3 with College ID’s. Register by clicking here today!

Riverside Ranks 9th Best City in America for Tech Jobs by Forbes

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Riverside’s efforts to create an ‘innovative economy‘ are showing real results based on the latest Forbes’ ranking that put this City of Arts & Innovation near the top of a list of cities described as being hot spots for technology jobs.  Tied with San Diego, the Riverside MSA ranked 9th overall based on gains in technology jobs in manufacturing, software and services over the past 10 years.

In fact, Riverside is only one of 11 cities on the overall list to have shown positive job growth in these sectors in the past decade, along with Seattle (No 1),  Baltimore (No. 2), Columbus, Ohio (No. 3), Raleigh, N.C. (No. 4), Salt Lake City (No. 5), Jacksonville, Fla. (No. 6), Washington, D.C. (No. 7), San Diego (Tie-No. 9), Indianapolis (No. 11) and Orlando, Fla. (No. 24).  In contrast, other areas such as Silicon Valley (includes San Francisco and San Jose), New York and Boston (none of which broke the top 10) have experienced negative growth in these sectors. Joel Kotkin, author of “The Best Cities” article, suggests that although proximity to research institutions is key for tech job creation, cost of living and the business environment are equally – if not more – important factors for companies when deciding where to base these types of permanent jobs.

Click here to read the full article.

7th Annual Riverside College and Career Fair Helps Prep Students for Successful Futures

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Bank of America presents the 7th Annual Riverside College & Career Fair at the Riverside Convention Center on October 3rd from 5:00-8:00 p.m. The event provides thousands of Riverside students and their families with a one-stop opportunity to get the information they need to apply for college and find a career pathway.

Get answers to questions about financial aid, which college will suit you best, and how to prepare for your first job interview. Local business representatives will also be available to provide career advice and helpful tips for you career goals. Plus, High School Seniors will have the chance to win a partial scholarship to California Baptist University, La Sierra University, Riverside Community College, or the University of California, Riverside!

Co-hosts for the event include: City of Riverside, Alvord Unified School District, Jurupa Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside Convention Center, Riverside County Workforce Investment Board and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.

Click here for a College & Career Fair Flyer .  Admission is free.

Details:
October 3, 2011
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Riverside Convention Center
3443 Orange St. Riverside, CA

Facebook.com/RiversideCollegeAndCareerFair

 

Riverside Named Third in the Nation in Newsweek’s Ranking of America’s Can-Do Capitals

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In a time of economic anxiety, the City of Riverside has it “going on” according to a recent report published by Newsweek (thedailybeast.com). 

Newsweek reviewed the country’s 200 largest cities focusing not only on current performance but also cities’ progression in areas of business development, sustainability, livability, transportation and infrastructure.

“Riverside has taken a strategic approach to improving our City’s infrastructure, sustainability and livability” commented Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge. “…we are proud to be recognized as one of America’s 20 Can-Do Cities.”

Of the 20 cities named as top performers, three were located in California and included San Diego and Oakland.  The study reviewed reductions in air pollutants, increased park acreage, LEED building certifications, and the number of people with health care.  In addition, education levels were considered as was the pace of new construction, venture capital growth and the change in costs of doing business.

The full Daily Beast (Newsweek) article can be found here.

UCR’s Commitment to Social Mobility, Service, and Research Earns it a Top 5 National Ranking

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UC Riverside rose to number 5 in the September issue rankings of the nation’s universities and colleges published by the Washington Monthly College Guide. The magazine compared 258 national universities for the survey and seated UC Riverside in notable company between Stanford ranked 4th and Harvard ranked 6th.

The survey is a much different ranking system than the common list found in U.S. News and World Report. Instead of focusing strictly on academics, the magazine asks questions such as, “What are colleges doing for the country? Are they engines of social mobility? Do they promote the idea of service to the country? Do they foster scientific and humanistic research?” Given this focus, many of the usual top schools are not ranked as well, giving recognition to those institutions that take a more holistic approach to learning and serving the community, an area where UCR truly excels.

A core reason for the high ranking is the fact that UCR maintains a high degree of access for low-income students in combination with a higher-than-predicted graduation rate.

“This illustrates the value that the University of California brings to the state,” said UCR Chancellor Timothy P. White. “We are not speaking of a private good-for-a-single-individual-earning-a-degree, but rather we are talking about a measurable public good for all of us. This achievement highlights the importance of sustained and consistent public investment in the University of California.”

This is the seventh year the Washington Monthly’s College Guide, which includes an analysis from the magazine’s editors, echoes the idea of the UC as a public good:

The fact that six of the UC campuses land among the best-ranked universities in the nation “is a testament to California’s historic commitment to institutions that combine world-class research and access for low-income students,” wrote the magazine’s editors in an accompanying story.”

The overall score in these rankings represents the combined score of three equally-weighted metrics—social mobility, research, and service—where the highest is 100 and the lowest is zero.
Social mobility: This measure asks how well the university graduates students who are receiving federal Pell Grants, which are given only to low-income students.
Research: This measure asks how well a research university attracts research grants; and graduates students who then successfully earn PhDs.
Service: This ranking measures rates of Peace Corps service; ROTC service; and percentage of work study money that goes to community service (versus non-community service); as well as community service hours by students and staff; and whether the institution provides scholarships for community service.

“In surveys of UCR undergraduates, 59% report that they participated in community service, including tutoring, mentoring and environmental cleanup efforts. UCR had the second highest total among UCs in terms of the average hours per week that students spend on community service.”

This ranking is an acknowledgement of the link between education, community engagement, and service for lifelong learning that Riverside values so highly within our institutions of higher education and which UCR truly exemplifies.

The complete rankings of national universities can be found here.
For the full press release provided by the UCR newsroom click here.