The Orange County Community Foundation's report highlights Top Job-Growth Sectors and Keys to Workforce Investment

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF), one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing community foundations, unveiled today the inaugural 2026 Orange County Economic Opportunity Report. The first report of its kind by the foundation identifies issues, barriers and opportunities for economic growth and prosperity across industry sectors in the region, with the educational pipeline as the most critical piece of the infrastructure. The analysis evaluates the regional economy, identifies future job and wage engines, and guides strategic workforce development investments through 2035.

Produced in partnership with Coast Community College District, Orange County Department of Education, Orange County United Way and OC Pathways, the report provided the following insights on job growth leaders:

• The healthcare sector, Orange County's undisputed leader in job growth, is projected to add 49,771 new jobs by 2035. This includes 16,989 middle-skill positions, such as medical assistants, licensed vocational nurses, and technicians.
• The tourism and outdoor recreation sectors are projected to add 29,736 jobs by 2035.
• Aerospace and defense, clean economy, life sciences and high-tech sectors are projected to add about 8,000 jobs by 2035.

The report also recommends six essential keys to workforce investment for the region, developed by an inclusive collaborative of business, labor, government, and community leaders:

1. Meet the massive projected job growth in healthcare, the region's undisputed job creator, by dedicating significant funding to expand the capacity of community colleges and vocational training providers to meet the 16,989 middle-skill job demand in this sector. Invest in expanding education and training capacity, especially for middle-skill healthcare roles.
2. Secure the region's long-term competitive advantage in the high-wage life sciences, high-tech, aerospace, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics sectors by investing in developing high-skill talent pipelines through funding scholarships, mentorships, and initiatives for underrepresented students and communities.
3. Ensure current middle-skill workers are not left behind as the economy changes by upskilling frontline workers in sectors such as tourism and creating pathways for workers in sectors such as traditional manufacturing to transition into high-demand roles in aerospace, life science, and clean economy sectors. Fund and incentivize cross-training programs, career ladder development, and upskilling initiatives that connect high-wage firms with the existing frontline workforce.
4. Provide critical, paid work experience that reduces student debt and directly connects training to employment. Provide catalytic funding to expand and scale high-quality paid internships and registered apprenticeships. Invest in the intermediary organizations and infrastructure needed to scale these earn-and-learn opportunities, particularly for vulnerable youth. Registered apprenticeships and paid internships are proven, high-impact strategies for equity and workforce readiness.
5. Ensure career technical education completion and equitable outcomes by addressing non-academic barriers and funding programs that support transportation access, technology access, mental health services, and housing instability interventions. Low-income, foster youth, homeless students, English learners, and students with disabilities cannot complete high-opportunity pathways if they lack transportation, food, or mental health support.
6. Address the systemic market failure in the childcare sector – the only sector projected to shrink – which creates a critical bottleneck for workforce participation across the entire economy. Target investments in the childcare sector to improve wages and professional development, and support education initiatives designed to recruit, train, and retain teachers from within the local community, instead of hiring from outside the region.

The report provides findings of a study led by Wallace Walrod, Ph.D., Managing Partner of Tech Coast Consulting Group and Chief Economic Advisor to the Orange County Business Council. Walrod used the state's 2025 California Jobs First (CJF) Blueprint as the analytical framework to assess Orange County's current and projected economic landscape. The CJF initiative is the state's first comprehensive, "bottom-up" economic development strategy, designed to foster sustainable, equitable, and resilient growth.

"The 2026 Orange County Economic Opportunity Report makes one thing clear: The educational pipeline is Orange County's most valuable infrastructure," said Cathleen Otero, OCCF's Chief Operating Officer. "This data provides the roadmap to ensure that Orange County continues to be a global leader in innovation. By aligning strategic investments in education with business sectors, we are engineering a future where every resident has a pathway to prosperity."

View the complete report: 2026 Orange County Economic Opportunity Report. To learn more about the Orange County Community Foundation and how you can make a difference, visit oc-cf.org.

About Orange County Community Foundation
The Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) transforms our community's heartfelt intention into greater impact for good by working with local donors and nonprofit partners as an expert advisor and innovator. We serve as a resource for individual and family philanthropists, facilitate grant and scholarship programs, and lead community-based initiatives. OCCF's Vision 2030, a five-year strategic plan, is designed to amplify giving and support donors' philanthropic goals as well as address critical needs in Orange County. Since 1989, OCCF has granted more than $1.25 billion in Orange County, across the country, and around the world. For more information, visit oc-cf.org or call (949) 553-4202. Be a part of our conversation on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. View OCCF's 2025 annual report here.

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SOURCE Orange County Community Foundation