World class talent sets the Tri-Valley apart—and will define its future. With two-thirds of adults holding a four-year degree or higher, award-winning public schools, and Las Positas College ranked among California’s best, the region has built a powerful foundation for success. Talent here isn’t just about today—it’s about preparing tomorrow’s workforce. From Quest Science Center’s Innovation Fair to Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories—the “smartest mile on earth”—the Tri-Valley is cultivating the next generation of creators, leaders, and problem-solvers. For 15 years, Innovation Tri-Valley has amplified this culture of innovation through its DreamMakers and RiskTakers Awards, celebrating young visionaries who are changing the world from right here at home. This commitment to talent ensures that by 2040, the Tri-Valley will remain a global beacon of discovery, opportunity, and economic vitality.
The education system across America has long been a combination of a K-12 education followed by an array of secondary options, ranging from four-year institutions to community colleges to technical education programs. Beyond that system, the opportunity to gain new skills is relatively limited.
A Lifelong Learning and Innovation Campus in the Tri-Valley would fill this void and become a first-of-its-kind California asset that would focus on the skills needed for the future economy. Its mission would be “No Worker Left Behind,” and its curriculum would be the product of private sector input and development by educational experts. Areas for focus could include high-demand sectors: Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Healthcare and Applied Technologies (e.g., biotech and advanced manufacturing), and Business Creation.
Rather than a focus on degrees, the campus (a combination of a physical space and virtual learning) would focus on credentials. This type of model could cater to students of all ages—professionals looking to change careers, high school graduates looking for a new skill, and even younger students looking to access courses not taught in high schools. This type of model could also incorporate applied skills training across a variety of in-demand occupations.
A Lifelong Learning Campus would not be meant to replace or compete with Las Positas College, Diablo Valley College, Cal State University East Bay, or even a future UC satellite in the region, it instead could be an extension of all of those institutions that stretches the bounds of what is possible for education in the Tri-Valley. Partnerships across multiple levels of higher education—community college, CSU system, and UC system—can cater to a diverse set of potential students and create a unique educational partnership in the Tri-Valley.
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The Tri-Valley is leading the way in connecting education with career opportunity. Employers are deeply engaged—shaping curriculum, serving on industry advisories, and providing internships, job shadows, and career expos. Building on this strong foundation, Innovation Tri-Valley is helping expand opportunities even further. As Employer Liaison to the Bay Area K-16 Collaborative and through its Education and Workforce Development Committee, ITV is aligning industry, education, and government to create inclusive, hands-on learning.
A tremendous amount of applied research is already occurring today within the two national laboratories based in the TriValley. A university or satellite University of California campus in the Tri-Valley working with the two national laboratories in a significant way would open up new and extraordinary possibilities for applied research in the region.A university research presence in the Tri-Valley could be another avenue for taking laboratory research and turning it into a commercially viable startup. Universities are often more successful than national laboratories at spinning out research, as their post-docs and graduate students are often looking to become entrepreneurs. Having both labs and a graduate level university presence in the Tri-Valley could help weave opportunities together for post-docs to combine their own research with lab developments to create innovative products and companies. Cross-pollination between lab researchers and university graduate students and post-docs could provide the boost that new ideas need, and a business mentor could turn the idea into a successful new startup.
Tri-Valley students expressed a desire to be betterconnected their community—by both learning about careeropportunities in the Tri-Valley and giving input on city and regional processes (much like what was done for this vision process). These types of connections can be incredibly useful in helping them envision a future in the Tri-Valley, giving students a regional identity in addition to their connections to school and local community. The Tri-Valley cities, counties, and related agencies should seek to create dedicated opportunities for young leaders, so that the next generation can have a voice in planning decisions. At the very least, youth advisers can give voice to a large population group that has historically been left out of government processes. The young leaders that participated in this vision planning process were particularly passionate about diversity and environmental sustainability, both of which are key issues that the Tri-Valley will have to address going forward. By having a diversity of voices in those conversations,
creative solutions are more likely to emerge.
