Daily Business Report-April 21, 2014
Troops to Engineers has placed 100 percent of its students into paid internships and new careers.
SDSU Program Combats Veteran Unemployment
Unemployment rates for veterans under 24 years old continue to surpass those of their civilian peers by more than 7 percent, according to the recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. San Diego State University’s Troops to Engineers SERVICE Program is combating those statistics.
Initially funded by the National Science Foundation in 2011, and now supported by industry partnerships and government collaborations, the program has placed 100 percent of its students — 150 in total — into paid internships and new careers.
“Student-veterans are an excellent source of engineers and scientists at a time when our country needs them,” said Patricia Reily, a former Navy commander, who has led the program for three years. “As a result of their time in the military, student veterans have learned skills and developed discipline; they are mature, focused and team players. We place the student-veterans in paid internships with top industry employers and they take it from there. Nine times out of 10, they receive job offers where they intern.”
According to Reily, student-veterans have unique technical experience, maintain high GPA’s and earn their degrees at a faster rate than their non-veteran classmates, making them highly qualified for internships and jobs.
“They bring terrific practical examples of engineering theory into the classroom,” she said. “They are accustomed to working hard so when in an internship they gain confidence and positive recognition for their diligence.”
San Diego County Jobless Rate Falls to 6.9 Percent
San Diego County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent in March, down from 7 percent in February and below the year-ago estimate of 7.8 percent, the state Employment Development Department Reported today.
California’s unemployment rate for the same period was 8.4 percent. The national jobless rate was 6.8 percent.
Between February and March:
Total nonfarm employment increased from 1,322,500 to 1,335,200, a gain of 12,700 jobs. Agricultural employment gained 400 jobs, or 4.2 percent.
Leisure and hospitality recorded the greatest month-over gain, adding 3,400 jobs. Accommodation and food services (up 2,200) accounted for more than 60 percent of the job growth in this sector, primarily from food services and drinking places (up 1,900). Arts, entertainment, and recreation added 1,200 jobs.
Educational and health services gained 2,400 jobs. Health care and social assistance (up 1,400) contributed to more than half of the employment growth in this industry, mainly from ambulatory health care services (up 900). Educational services added 1,000 jobs; all from colleges, universities, and professional schools.
Eight other nonfarm industries also reported job growth over the month. The most significant gains came from government (up 2,100) and construction (up 2,000). Mining and logging reported no change in employment levels.
Cross-Border Airport Plan Clears Final Hurdle
A groundbreaking plan for a privately funded international port of entry linking San Diego directly to Tijuana’s A.L. Rodriguez International Airport appears to have cleared its final hurdle, the U-T San Diego reports.
It would allow departing airline passengers to park their cars in San Diego and walk across a bridge to board a plane in Tijuana. For arriving passengers, it would provide a U.S. Customs facility allowing them to circumvent lengthy border waits at San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.
The project’s U.S. developer, Otay-Tijuana Venture, has agreed to build the Customs inspection facility and pay for staffing, said R. Gil Kerlikowske, newly named commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“My understanding is that the Department of State notified the government of Mexico about the construction that will occur beginning in May,” Kerlikowske said an interview before a binational round-table discussion hosted by the South County Economic Development Council.
The new port of entry, unique on the U.S.-Mexico border, is a for-profit private venture that would be financed through toll-paying ticketed airline passengers who fly into and out of the Tijuana airport.
Plans call for a 525-foot long pedestrian bridge leading from the Tijuana airport terminal to a 65,000-square foot structure on the U.S. side that includes an inspection area staffed seven days a week by CBP officers.
Rady School Gets $1 Million Endowment
The Rady School of Management at the UC San Diego announced the establishment of the Carol Lazier and Family Endowed Chair in Social Innovation and Impact. The $1 million endowment will help establish the Center for Social Innovation and Impact (CSII) at the Rady School.
The endowment will also attract and support faculty leaders in the area of social venturing. Social venturing initiatives encompass domains such as education, poverty and health, and highlight the premise that the success of an enterprise is not solely measured by profits and losses, but also by its broader impact on the well-being of society.
“With this generous endowment from Carol Lazier and family, the Rady School will have the opportunity to create a lasting difference through social ventures in San Diego and around the world,” said Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan.
Bar Association Celebrates Law Week
The San Diego County Bar Association’s (SDCBA) annual Law Week celebration takes place April 28 through May 2. Law Week celebrates the importance of the rule of law and community service, and throughout the week San Diego’s legal community will provide programs designed to assist and educate the community at large.
This year’s Law Week events for the public include:
April 7 — May 2: Children At Risk Book Drive
The SDCBA’s Children At Risk Committee will be collecting new or gently used children’s books during the annual Book Drive. The Book Drive will run from April 7 through May 2. Book donations for children in kindergarten through grade 12 are accepted. For a list of book drop-off locations, visit www.sdcba.org/bookdrive.
April 29: SDCBA Ask-A-Lawyer Program
The SDCBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service will host a free Ask-A-Lawyer program offering the public the opportunity to speak with attorneys from a wide range of practice areas at no charge over the phone or via Facebook. Between 4 and 7 p.m. on April 29, anyone can call (619) 321-4159 to speak with an attorney.
April 30: San Diego Law Library “Family Law Clinic”
The Law Library will hold a family law clinic at the Downtown library (1105 Front St.) from 10 a.m. to noon. The public is invited to stop by to speak with an attorney, at no charge, for general guidance on family law matters.
May 2: Family Law Facilitators Program
The Family Law Facilitator’s Office of the San Diego Superior Court, together with volunteer attorneys, will answer legal questions and provide free family law information to the public at the Downtown Family Courthouse (1555 Sixth Ave., San Diego) from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., and in South Bay (500 Third Ave., 1st Floor Chula Vista) from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
San Diego Start-Up Week Set for June 17-21
The second annual San Diego Start-Up Week, organized by StartUP San Diego, is set for Tuesday, June 17, to Saturday, June 21. The main events include a conference on women in technology, panel discussions, and start-up crawls (where attendants will tour several Downtown incubators.) Participants will comprise of entrepreneurs, top-tier investors, talented service providers, and high profile community supporters.
Details of the event are available here…
Leading Executives to Receive USD Alumni Awards
Executives from C-SPAN, Qualcomm, Sharp Coronado Hospital and other top organizations will receive alumni awards from the University of San Diego on April 26. Peter Kiley, vice president of Affiliate Relations for C-SPAN; Mauricio López-Hodoyán, vice president of Strategy & Analysis at Qualcomm Technologies Inc., and Susan Stone, senior vice president and CEO at Sharp Coronado Hospital, will each receive the Author E. Hughes Award for Career Achievement.
Other Hughes Award honorees are Robert Bruning, managing partner of EY’s practice in San Diego (formerly Ernst & Young LLP); Stuart Grauer, founder of The Grauer School in Encinitas; Jeffrey T. Thomas, partner in the Orange County office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and Shobha Pradhan Shrestha, the founder and executive chair of Women for Peace and Democracy (WPD), Nepal.
James W. Brennan, CEO of Enlightened Hospitality Group in San Diego, will receive the Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Award for contributions to humanitarian causes. Kevin Dooley, who founded the USD Wine Classic that has raised more than $230,000 for student scholarships, will receive the Mother Rosalie Clifton Hill Award for exemplary service to the university.
Andrew Rae, a Torero tennis player and two-time NCAA Division II All American and national singles champion, will be inducted into the Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame.
The alumni awards begin at 6 p.m. in the Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace & Justice. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at www.sandiego.edu/alumnihonors or by calling (619) 260-7889.
Library Shop to Celebrate California Bookstore Day
The San Diego Public Library Foundation’s Library Shop at the San Diego Central Library will participate in California Bookstore Day on May 3. Hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Patrons will be able to peruse the Library Shop’s curated selection of exclusive, CBD-only books and book-related items from authors such as George Saunders, Don DeLillo, Lemony Snicket, Michael Pollan and many others. The selections are not available anywhere else on any other day.
In addition to the special CBD merchandise, the Library Shop will hold a one-day-only book sale, with all books in the store 25 percent off.
County Celebrates Earth Day
San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox and officials with the Industrial Environmental Association and I Love a Clean San Diego will celebrate Earth Day at a Tuesday event to collect recyclables and raise awareness about sustainable practices. County departments, local businesses and nonprofit organizations will be on hand to provide information about sustainable practices they use. County employees will turn in batteries and compact fluorescent light bulbs for recycling. Goodwill will accept donations of clothing, shoes and accessories.
The event is open to the public and to employees at the County Operations Cent
er. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the County Operations Center complex, 5500 Overland Ave., San Diego.
SDSU Business School Gets New Dean
J. Dennis Cradit will join San Diego State University on July 1 as dean of the College of Business Administration. Cradit has served since 2006 as dean of the College of Business at Southern Illinois University. In 2012, he took on additional responsibilities as deputy to the chancellor for innovation and economic development.
“Dennis Cradit’s accomplishments in building partnerships with the business community, coupled with his focus on academic achievement and innovation, distinguished him in a strong national pool of candidates,” said SDSU President Elliot Hirsman.
The college is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 business schools in California and among the 50 best public business schools in the U.S.
A native of Texas, Cradit has a Ph.D. in cognitive and social psychology from the University of Iowa. He was chair of the marketing department at Florida State University for six years before joining Southern Illinois University.
