County of S.B.’s Passport to Public Service in Paradise Program
Courtesy Photo

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), is the largest employer in the county, with both academic and nonacademic positions, including management, technical, clerical, service/maintenance, and public-safety jobs.

“With a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, UCSB fills approximately 500 to 600 jobs annually and has a total campus employment of over 11,000,” said Melinda Crawford, employment/training and development manager at UCSB. She admits that it can be difficult to fill such a vast range of positions given the high cost of living and competitive professional market in Santa Barbara, and she encourages people to check its online listings and apply with a strong résumé and cover letter.

The second largest employer is the County of Santa Barbara, with a total of 4,213 employees and 400 different job classes in 23 different departments. This year, the county launched its new Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) Passport to Public Service in Paradise Program, an initiative designed to create a clear pathway for employment and career success for the county.

That program partners with Santa Barbara City College to provide monthly workshops on how to apply and prepare for a job with the county, the goal being to cultivate “a workforce that is engaged, developed, and ready to meet the needs of our community,” said Leonie Mattison, the county’s director of organizational transformation and leadership. “We see our residents as customers as well as future potential employees.”

The first Passport Program workshop in March attracted about 100 applicants and 50 attendees. Applications can be found here: independent.com/passportprogram.

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