Local Leaders Look To Add Nearly 9,000 Jobs
INDIAN WELLS — More than 600 of the valley’s government and business leaders watched the unveiling of a plan aimed at adding more than 8,900 jobs to the desert by 2016.
The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and Desert Lyceum came up the plan. If it works, it could add jobs in healthcare, renewable energy and other fields. Leaders want to be ready when the economy recovers.
“Very similar to a learning curve. When the economy is going to come back the key is do we want to be ahead of the curve on the curve or behind the curve. And I think with this plan we’re gonna be on the curve,” says Carolyn Stark with the Desert Lyceum.
Economist John Husing says the key is housing. He was the keynote speaker at the summit Friday morning at the Renaissance Esmeralda Report in Indian Wells. The valley is at or near the bottom of the housing crisis and will benefit from low home prices.
“Even though we’ll have a continuing flow of foreclosures, there will be buyers out there so prices stabilize and actually moving up and that is huge news,” says Husing.
The more than $12 million plan will rely on donors for it’s capitol. Organizers say the tough times aren’t stopping people from buying in. They’ve already raised more than half of it’s $2 million first year budget and a quarter of its total financial goal. The money won’t just add jobs but provide workforce training for adults and college scholarships to college-bound kids.
“We need to keep them here. We need to keep the educated workforce local in the valley. And we need to create jobs for them, that are high paying and jobs that require an educated workforce,” says Wesley Alhgren with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.
The theme for this year’s economic summit is the “road ahead.” And, there are high hopes this plan will provide a green light to move us past these tough times.
