Agency's Program Helping Fill Local Job Openings

Eastridge Group's Training Program Targets
Specific Types Of Industries

SAN DIEGO -- A local staffing agency is training workers to quickly fill specific types of job openings around San Diego County.

A new wave of workers, made up of mostly high school and college graduates, are training for jobs in the biomedical and biotech manufacturing industries with the help of staffing company The Eastridge Group.

"They know they can't sacrifice quality for speed. They know exactly what is expected of them," said technical trainer Yessenia Cota.

Four months ago, the company began the one-day training sessions to identify top candidates with excellent hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. The program grew out of an increased demand for skilled assembly workers making between $8 to $10 an hour.

"As a young worker, it's hard to get that experience and this gave me the opportunity," said program graduate Owen Warner, who landed a job at Biosite, a San Diego-based company that makes diagnostic health products.

Biosite hired about 20 other graduates from Eastridge Group's program, and they said the workers from the program catch on much quicker -- within a couple of weeks instead of a month or more.

"We're finding turnover rate is not as bad as it used to be. People are catching on and they're able to do the job," said Marcellus Kendrick of Biosite.

Government stimulus money has increased the demand for skilled construction workers, especially for projects at Camp Pendleton. Additionally, skilled electricians and carpenters are in need for the solar power industry and commercial properties. Experts said there is also a big need for web developers, network engineers and other IT workers.

"So certainly jobs are there. I think people need to get different training and approach the job market through networking and really consider a different industry that they have been in," said Seth Stein of The Eastridge Group of Staffing Companies.

The unemployment rate in San Diego County was at 10 percent last month, down from 10.4 percent in April.

However, the rate is still about 1 point higher than this time last year.

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