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Workforce Development
Good jobs exist right here in the Redwood Region — in clean energy, healthcare, working lands, outdoor recreation, and beyond. But knowing those jobs exist is only the first step. Finding the right training, figuring out where to start, and connecting with local support can be harder than it should be.
That's what this page is for. Whether you're exploring careers for the first time, looking to upskill, or helping someone else find their footing — you'll find career pathway maps, training resources, and local programs here to help you take your next step. Browse by sector, download any map for free, and share with anyone who could use a clearer picture of what's possible close to home.
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Career Pathway Maps
Arts, Culture, and Tourism
From guiding rafts to designing brands, this sector spans a wide range of creative and outdoor careers — with pathways from seasonal entry-level roles to year-round leadership positions.
Creative Economy
A guide to arts, creative, and design jobs in the Redwood Region, focusing on entry-level and credentialed tracks to success and highlighting educational institutions and free & low-cost training opportunities. Roles include photographer, advertising sales agent, and graphic designer.
Entrepreneurship Toolkit
A one-page resource guide for Redwood Region entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a business, covering business formation basics, funding and loan opportunities, free advising through local Small Business Development Centers, and accelerator programs across all four counties.
Hospitality & Accommodation
A guide to hospitality and accommodation roles across Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino counties, spanning from entry-level to management. Whether you're drawn to the kitchen, guest services, or running operations, this map shows how to get started and move up — no degree required to begin.
Outdoor Recreation
A guide to outdoor recreation roles in the Redwood Region, highlighting credentials and work-based learning opportunities and progression from entry level to managers. These roles span from seasonal to year-round, including occupations such as park aide, raft guide, operations manager, trail crew, forestry technician and more.
Health and Caregiving
From entry-level support roles to advanced clinical careers, the health and caregiving sector offers locally accessible pathways for anyone looking to make a difference in their community.
Health Pathways Career Ladder
A locally accessible career ladder developed by Redwood Coast K-16 Education Collaborative for health professionals across the Redwood Region, ranging from entry-level roles to graduate-level positions. Highlights educational institutions and includes occupations such as childcare worker, dental assistant, paramedic, and nursing.
Health Professions by Median Income
A quick-reference chart of health, caregiving, and behavioral health careers, organized by median income with required education levels and projected growth rates for each role — developed by Redwood Coast K-16 Education Collaborative.
Education Programs and Degrees
A comprehensive list of locally available healthcare training programs, certificates, and degrees — organized by educational level and institution, from high school CTE pathways through master's degrees, developed by Redwood Coast K-16 Education Collaborative.
Renewable & Resilient Energy
With $97 million invested locally since 2019 in renewable energy and restoration projects, the Redwood Region is building an energy workforce — and there are paths in for people at every level, from hands-on trades to engineering.
Renewable & Resilient Energy
A guide to construction trades, utilities, and engineering careers across the Redwood Region. Whether you want to build with your hands, keep critical systems running, or design the infrastructure of tomorrow, this map covers apprenticeships, certifications, local employers, and degree pathways — with 75% of jobs accessible starting with a high school diploma.
Working Lands and Blue Economy
The Redwood Region's forests, rivers, and coastline support a growing range of careers in land stewardship, maritime work, and fire and forestry — connecting people to the land while building long-term economic resilience.
Blue Economy
A guide to maritime career pathways in the Redwood Region, from working on the water to supporting ports, fisheries, and marine science. Outlines the certifications, training programs, and regional innovations that connect these pathways and open doors to coastal entrepreneurship
Fire & Forestry
A guide to Working Lands career pathways that positions fire mitigation as a core entry point to environmental work, showing how seasonal fire roles connect to year-round opportunities across restoration, forestry, and related fields.
Sector-Focused Workforce Development Support
Capitol Impact works directly alongside our Sector Investment Coordinators to provide tailored workforce support — from job quality strategies and grant writing in Arts, Culture, and Tourism, to launching a regional Clinical Placement Consortium in Health and Caregiving, to workforce mapping and employer convenings in Renewable and Resilient Energy and Working Lands and Blue Economy.
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