Better integrating workforce development into the county’s ecosystem of services
Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board’s previous human-centered design (HCD) experience has centered on input from customers on services. “An example is when we ran a survey for the participation of [our] Leadership & Professional Development Program and implemented [much] of their feedback into the program the following year,” shares Alma Janabajab, a business services strategist with Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board. Janabajab admits there’s still much they hope to achieve through their involvement in the Workforce Transformation Corps (WTC). “We are in the transition of a new executive director, so it is an ideal time to assess where we are, what changes we can make, and where and how we want to go moving forward with the new leadership.”
Dorea Crowell Fellow
Alma Janabajab Friend
Both Janabajab and Santa Barbara County’s fellow, Dorea Crowell, seek to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the work they will do together for their community. Crowell brings decades of experience in public service, having previously worked as a career services advisor for a local college. “I hold a certification in diversity, equity, and inclusion…I believe that my combined experiences have given me the skills necessary to help catalyze equitable and inclusive access to workforce services.” Crowell envisions much of her work in the fellowship to incorporate DEI along the way, utilizing all components of design thinking that include empathy, ideating, prototyping, and testing. “We can then use these insights and knowledge to identify any key roadblocks that might hinder sustainable progress. This will help to design with real context…and properly reframe the problem and gain perspectives.”
Janabajab says programs and products are a primary focus for Santa Barbara County in Jobs for the Future’s (JFF) HCD maturity model. She hopes to gain further perspectives on how their work impacts the local community and the ways Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board can lead by example. “We are hoping through the ecosystem mapping, we will build stronger relationships, and therefore not only be invited to the table but also be the convener and informer of the ecosystem when it comes to any workforce discussions.”
