Five researched cases. Five different workforce responses.
These briefs are published only where Workforce Wonkery has researched the market, existing supply, capacity, access, outcomes, and missing evidence deeply enough to support a decision conversation.
Different problems require different responses.
Registered Nurses
Scale + AccessMultiple programs exist, but published cohort limits and applicant volume show constrained entry.
Open decision brief →Electricians
Access + ApprenticeshipPaid registered apprenticeship exists. Intake and dispatch, not classroom supply, are the unresolved constraint.
Open decision brief →Plumbers / Pipefitters
Access + ApprenticeshipDirect regional apprenticeship supply exists, including a San Benito-serving option.
Open decision brief →Medical Assistants
Validate + RedesignSeveral pathways exist. Outcomes, wages, and advancement matter more than adding another program.
Open decision brief →Dental Hygienists
Validate + AccessStrong wage signal, but the known local pathway is paused and regional demand evidence is incomplete.
Open decision brief →What the evidence currently supports.
| Occupation | Current response | Why | Strongest evidence | Most important gap | What would change the finding? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses 29-1141 | Scale + Access | Multiple programs exist, but published cohorts and applicant volume show constrained entry. | Cabrillo applicant/selection data; published cohort sizes; RN licensure outcomes. | Clinical/faculty capacity, DataVista employment/earnings, ETPL. | Evidence that seats are going unfilled, outcomes deteriorate materially, or clinical/faculty capacity is not the binding constraint. |
| Electricians 47-2111 | Access + Apprenticeship | A direct paid apprenticeship exists regionally. The unknown is intake and dispatch, not whether training exists. | DAS registration; current Tri-County application/test cycle; paid starting wage. | Applicants, accepted apprentices, dispatch, completions, regional demand. | Evidence of unused apprenticeship capacity or weak employer demand would shift the response toward monitoring rather than access. |
| Plumbers / Pipefitters 47-2152 | Access + Apprenticeship | Direct regional apprenticeship supply exists, including a San Benito-serving option. Geography and sponsorship remain constraints. | DAS programs; recurring Local 62 application schedule; San Benito-serving JATC. | Intake, dispatch, sponsorship, completion, regional demand. | Evidence that existing apprenticeship capacity exceeds demand would reduce the case for access investment. |
| Medical Assistants 31-9092 | Validate + Redesign | Multiple pathways already exist and regional openings are substantial. The key question is job quality, placement, and advancement. | EDD regional openings; four loaded training pathways; short-term and college options. | Completions, employment, wages, advancement, ETPL. | Strong placement and wage-progression evidence plus constrained seats could support scaling; weak outcomes would strengthen redesign. |
| Dental Hygienists 29-1292 | Validate + Access | High wage signal, but the known local program has paused new applications and comparable regional demand is incomplete. | California wage/growth evidence; Cabrillo program status. | North Central Coast demand, nearby supply, clinical capacity, outcomes, ETPL. | Strong regional employer demand and feasible clinical capacity could support reopening or scaling; adequate nearby supply could support monitoring instead. |
This table is descriptive decision support. It does not rank occupations or providers.
Grade the evidence, not the occupation.
Each brief grades five evidence blocks independently. There is no composite score. A weak block stays visible rather than being averaged away by stronger evidence elsewhere.
Direct, current, authoritative evidence with strong geographic and definitional fit.
Strong evidence with a limited timing, geography, or measurement caveat.
Directional or proxy evidence with important limitations.
Weak, stale, or poorly aligned evidence.
Unknown or insufficient evidence.
Fill the gaps that could actually change a decision.
CalJOBS ETPL verification for Cabrillo, Hartnell, MPC, and Gavilan; exact DataVista program/cohort outcomes; clinical/faculty capacity.
Applicant counts, accepted apprentices, active apprentices, dispatch, employer sponsorship, completions, and program-level ETPL status where applicable.
ETPL for all four loaded pathways; completions, placement, earnings, and evidence of movement into higher-paid healthcare work.
Comparable regional demand, nearby program supply, clinical capacity, reopening feasibility, DataVista outcomes, and ETPL verification.