Governor Newsom’s first-in-the-nation California Jobs First initiative funds rural business innovation hub in Yreka

A new economic vision for California’s future

Governor Newsom is accelerating economic growth and investing in regional strategies, expanding access to good paying jobs for Californians and supporting innovation and business that is locally grown.

In February 2025, Governor Newsom announced the California Jobs First Economic Blueprint – the state’s first comprehensive economic development strategy in more than 20 years, built on the foundation of 13 regionally-developed plans. Through the Jobs First initiative, nearly $1.6 billion in investment was generated in 2025, training over 142,000 workers and helping to create more than 61,000 new jobs. 

Under Governor Newsom’s leadership, the Blueprint outlines key initiatives to support regional growth, invest in 21st-century job training, create an attractive environment for job creators and strengthen California’s innovation economy – all to help increase access to good-paying jobs for Californians.

“California Jobs First is about turning regional priorities into real projects that create opportunity where it matters most,” said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to the Governor, Director of GO-Biz and Jobs First Council co-chair. “Investments like the renovation of the Yreka Carnegie building help communities build on their unique strengths, support local businesses and create the foundation for sustainable economic growth.”

“The Yreka Carnegie project will increase access to training and career pathways that help working people and families in Siskiyou County and California’s North State thrive,” said Stewart Knox, Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency and Jobs First Council co-chair. “This investment gives workers a place to connect with good-paying jobs and develop new skills, reflecting the talent and resilience rooted in this region, and building the kind of economic stability that lifts whole communities.”

“Across California, the state is investing in creating opportunity and resilience where it’s needed most,” said Samuel Assefa, Director of the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, Jobs First Council member, and Chair of the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC).“The SGC’s Regional Climate Collaboratives Program awarded a grant to the Siskiyou Climate Collaborative, which was then leveraged to secure additional funding to bring the Yreka Carnegie project to fruition. The Yreka Carnegie building has served as a local landmark for more than a century, and now it can serve as a catalyst for job creation, innovation, tourism and climate resilience efforts – not to mention neighborhood revitalization.”

The historic Carnegie building, built in 1915, has been a pillar of the Yreka community for over 100 years. The Yreka Carnegie will also serve as the headquarters for the Siskiyou Economic Development Council (SEDC), which led a multi-year, community-supported process to plan the building’s future, and house the Shasta-Cascade Small Business Development Center. The revitalized building now features ADA accessibility, a new solar array and backup battery system powering the innovation campus, multi-purpose spaces, and programming designed to attract pedestrians and serve Siskiyou County’s diverse business and community needs.

“The Carnegie is proof that rural communities can innovate, compete, and lead when local vision is matched by strong partnerships,” said Tonya Dowse, Executive Director of Siskiyou Economic Development. “As one of California’s early Jobs First pilot investments, it demonstrates what is possible when state, local, philanthropic, and private-sector partners come together to create opportunity in rural communities. We are grateful to the State of California for recognizing Siskiyou County as a place of innovation, possibility, and long-term investment.”

About the Regional Climate Collaboratives Program

The Regional Climate Collaboratives Program funds coalitions of community-serving partners in under-resourced communities to establish community priorities, develop a pipeline of projects, and align projects with state, federal, and philanthropic funding opportunities.

About the California Strategic Growth Council

The 10 distinguished members of the SGC include state-agency heads and three appointed public members. The council works collaboratively with public agencies, communities, and stakeholders to achieve sustainability, equity, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians. SGC’s collaborative structure helps state agencies prioritize and uplift community voices into decision-making around the types of projects and resources that receive state climate resilience funds.