ARTICLE
Will the growing tech sector bring new energy and possibly new employees (residents) to Santa Cruz County? That seems to be the logic behind our growing Tech scene. Create an atmosphere that promotes the local tech sector here and they will come. We have seen this before when the Silicon Valley tech sector surged during the 1970s, 80s, 90s. When the economic engine roars, tech company executives see Santa Cruz as the best place to create innovation. Who can blame them for wanting to work, live and recreate on the central coast? However, can we accommodate their success without addressing the most fundamental (and critical) infrastructure needs of our region? Generally, the Santa Cruz tech sector is mainly silent and seldom active at the public policy meetings about the present and future needs of our community. We need to change that if the long term goal of the tech sector is to create sustainable jobs locally. Now as the tech sector begins to flex its muscle again with the growth of new startups, innovative ideas and products will they join business leaders represented by the Chamber (and other business associations) to help address our future? Every month the Tech MeetUp event draws large crowds to show off new product lines and to talk tech and innovation. Last week’s meeting was to promote the reported 425 tech related job postings in our county. The smorgasbord of companies presented at last week’s monthly gathering included: Amazon, Joby Aviation, Looker, ProductOps, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Modern Tribe, Fullpower, Cyxtera, Inboard, Portable Cloud Nucleos, and Kakaxi. These networking events create high pitch energy and generate a posi-tive buzz that has brought the tech community together in the last few years. Last Wednesday’s event was a full house. Tech MeetUp founder and organizer, Doug Erickson, was quoted in the Santa Cruz Sentinel article (link below) boldly stating, “It’s crazy,” You can read the full story here: http://www.santacruzsentinel.tech-companies-search-for-talent-in-santa-cruz-amazon-hiring/ I am thrilled by the increase in tech related activity, startups and company expansions that can lead to more job opportunities locally. I worked in the tech industry in Silicon Valley for years so I get it. You work long hours with your head down, focusing on bottom line results to meet your VC funders expectations. In the tech world, who has time to engage in the public policy debate? That needs to change and here is why. What’s missing on this side of the hill is the tech sector’s engagement on policy issues that impact their future business success and our future. We need them at the table or at least through the larger voice of the business associations like the Chamber, the Santa Cruz County Business Council, and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership as examples of organizations dedicated to advocating for the business community. The increasing tech opportunities have great advantages for our local economy. A quick review of our current employment sectors for Santa Cruz uncovers the hidden truth that has been the core of our economic engine for decades: The top economic sectors include tourism ($800 million/year) and agriculture ($900 million/year based on 2016 figures from Visit Santa Cruz County and Farm Bureau, respectively). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the latest Santa Cruz-Watsonville employment report by the numbers (April 2017) are here: https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ca_santacruz_msa.htm Our top employment sectors (non-farm employment) are: 1) Government 2) Education and Health Services 3) Trade,Transportation and Utilities 4) Leisure and Hospitality. Those sectors are not the high wage jobs that the technology sector is renowned for, even if the wages in Santa Cruz are 30-50% lower than the pay in Silicon Valley. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t report technology jobs as a specific employment sector so it is difficult to pinpoint where the tech jobs are and how they will grow in one region vs. another. We do know our proximity to Silicon Valley is one reason that jobs are here and more are coming. It is important to understand that technology trends today drive new product development. The eventual growth of the tech sector will pull us up and or down the global, national, state and regional economic markets. For now, let’s ask a few questions about the potential success of our Tech Community. What does this mean when tech company executives want to avoid the daily grind in Silicon Valley and move their company to Santa Cruz? Where will the applicants come from for the currently 425 job openings? Do we have the home-grown talent in our high schools, community colleges and Universities to fill these opportunities? If the local tech sector continues to create innovative products that produce next generation jobs where will these companies locate or expand? Do we have the office space, manufacturing, and commercial building sites to accommodate a company’s growth plan? And, if our tech companies create the wealth of opportunities here, will that lead to the nearly 33,000 daily commuters to stay on this side of the hill instead of driving to Silicon Valley for work? Can this new wave of technology advances produce a sustainable future with a more dynamic and diversified economy? As far as I know, that discussion is not part of the monthly dialogue at the Tech MeetUp events. (At least I have not heard that conversation directly.) Tech company leaders should be included with other business leaders to be part of our public policy decision making process. When one sector of our economy grows it will bring changes to the downtown, to the neighborhood and to the county. We must be willing to address the basic infrastructure needs that growth creates from housing affordability, different land use planning processes, environmental constraints related to job creation, transportation congestion, conditions of roads to sustainable and clean water supply, our K-12 education system and our aging public facilities, the community college and Universities and much more. In the months ahead, city and county public officials will be addressing major policy issues that will be a part of our community’s short and long term planning processes. For over a century (128 years and counting), your Santa Cruz Area Chamber has been a leading voice for the Santa Cruz business community. Now, more than ever, the Santa Cruz tech sector should get engaged in the public debate. I welcome them to join the Chamber and other business groups at the public policy round table to be a part of our future.
Will the growing tech sector bring new energy and possibly new employees (residents) to Santa Cruz County?
That seems to be the logic behind our growing Tech scene. Create an atmosphere that promotes the local tech sector here and they will come. We have seen this before when the Silicon Valley tech sector surged during the 1970s, 80s, 90s. When the economic engine roars, tech company executives see Santa Cruz as the best place to create innovation. Who can blame them for wanting to work, live and recreate on the central coast?
However, can we accommodate their success without addressing the most fundamental (and critical) infrastructure needs of our region?
Generally, the Santa Cruz tech sector is mainly silent and seldom active at the public policy meetings about the present and future needs of our community. We need to change that if the long term goal of the tech sector is to create sustainable jobs locally. Now as the tech sector begins to flex its muscle again with the growth of new startups, innovative ideas and products will they join business leaders represented by the Chamber (and other business associations) to help address our future?
Every month the Tech MeetUp event draws large crowds to show off new product lines and to talk tech and innovation. Last week’s meeting was to promote the reported 425 tech related job postings in our county.
The smorgasbord of companies presented at last week’s monthly gathering included: Amazon, Joby Aviation, Looker, ProductOps, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Modern Tribe, Fullpower, Cyxtera, Inboard, Portable Cloud Nucleos, and Kakaxi.
These networking events create high pitch energy and generate a posi-tive buzz that has brought the tech community together in the last few years. Last Wednesday’s event was a full house. Tech MeetUp founder and organizer, Doug Erickson, was quoted in the Santa Cruz Sentinel article (link below) boldly stating, “It’s crazy,”
You can read the full story here: http://www.santacruzsentinel.tech-companies-search-for-talent-in-santa-cruz-amazon-hiring/
I am thrilled by the increase in tech related activity, startups and company expansions that can lead to more job opportunities locally. I worked in the tech industry in Silicon Valley for years so I get it. You work long hours with your head down, focusing on bottom line results to meet your VC funders expectations. In the tech world, who has time to engage in the public policy debate? That needs to change and here is why.
What’s missing on this side of the hill is the tech sector’s engagement on policy issues that impact their future business success and our future. We need them at the table or at least through the larger voice of the business associations like the Chamber, the Santa Cruz County Business Council, and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership as examples of organizations dedicated to advocating for the business community.
The increasing tech opportunities have great advantages for our local economy. A quick review of our current employment sectors for Santa Cruz uncovers the hidden truth that has been the core of our economic engine for decades: The top economic sectors include tourism ($800 million/year) and agriculture ($900 million/year based on 2016 figures from Visit Santa Cruz County and Farm Bureau, respectively).
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the latest Santa Cruz-Watsonville employment report by the numbers (April 2017) are here:
https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ca_santacruz_msa.htm
Our top employment sectors (non-farm employment) are: 1) Government 2) Education and Health Services 3) Trade,Transportation and Utilities 4) Leisure and Hospitality. Those sectors are not the high wage jobs that the technology sector is renowned for, even if the wages in Santa Cruz are 30-50% lower than the pay in Silicon Valley.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t report technology jobs as a specific employment sector so it is difficult to pinpoint where the tech jobs are and how they will grow in one region vs. another. We do know our proximity to Silicon Valley is one reason that jobs are here and more are coming.
It is important to understand that technology trends today drive new product development. The eventual growth of the tech sector will pull us up and or down the global, national, state and regional economic markets.
For now, let’s ask a few questions about the potential success of our Tech Community. What does this mean when tech company executives want to avoid the daily grind in Silicon Valley and move their company to Santa Cruz? Where will the applicants come from for the currently 425 job openings? Do we have the home-grown talent in our high schools, community colleges and Universities to fill these opportunities? If the local tech sector continues to create innovative products that produce next generation jobs where will these companies locate or expand? Do we have the office space, manufacturing, and commercial building sites to accommodate a company’s growth plan? And, if our tech companies create the wealth of opportunities here, will that lead to the nearly 33,000 daily commuters to stay on this side of the hill instead of driving to Silicon Valley for work?
Can this new wave of technology advances produce a sustainable future with a more dynamic and diversified economy?
As far as I know, that discussion is not part of the monthly dialogue at the Tech MeetUp events. (At least I have not heard that conversation directly.) Tech company leaders should be included with other business leaders to be part of our public policy decision making process.
When one sector of our economy grows it will bring changes to the downtown, to the neighborhood and to the county. We must be willing to address the basic infrastructure needs that growth creates from housing affordability, different land use planning processes, environmental constraints related to job creation, transportation congestion, conditions of roads to sustainable and clean water supply, our K-12 education system and our aging public facilities, the community college and Universities and much more.
In the months ahead, city and county public officials will be addressing major policy issues that will be a part of our community’s short and long term planning processes.
For over a century (128 years and counting), your Santa Cruz Area Chamber has been a leading voice for the Santa Cruz business community. Now, more than ever, the Santa Cruz tech sector should get engaged in the public debate. I welcome them to join the Chamber and other business groups at the public policy round table to be a part of our future.