working together
For Inland Empire Educational & Economic Success
GIA is a regional network of partners focused on improving the economic outlook of the Inland Empire by raising the region’s educational attainment rates.
5-Year Report
GIA’s 5-year report offers an overview of our mission, regional goals, network impact, and highlights of what we’ve accomplished together over the past five years.
STRATEGIC PLAN
GIA’s strategic plan points the way forward for achieving the mission and vision of GIA over the next 5-years. The plan was approved by GIA’s Board of Directors and published in October of 2020.
Finding inspiration amid the uncertainty
GIA’s Board of Directors shares how Inland educators are collaborating to achieve regional recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
News & announcements
GIA INSIGHTS – Elevating Student Voices amid the Global Pandemic
Two student groups in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside, share stories about pursuing graduate education goals amid the global...
GIA INSIGHTS – Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Inland Empire Community College Achievement
Inland Empire / Desert community college students who successfully transferred to a public or private university share their experiences about navigating this process....
College Futures Foundation Provides $687,000 to Support Regional Guided Pathways Work in the Inland Empire
College Futures Foundation awarded $687,000 in funding to support seven community colleges in the region to implement Guided Pathways initiatives from October 15, 2020, to...
our challenge & opportunity
The Inland Empire Region
Challenge: The Inland Empire is one of the most populous regions in California, with 4.5 million people, yet its students are less likely to earn college degrees than the average Californian. According to recent data from College Futures Foundation, for every 1,000 high school freshmen in the Inland Empire, only 151 will complete a BA degree. According to Data USA, the result of this is a regional poverty rate of 17.5%, and median household income of $56,087.
Opportunity: The projected workforce demand for Inland students with baccalaureate degrees will outweigh our labor supply by almost 2.3x in the next few years. Increasing the number of students with baccalaureate degrees is the solution. Increased degree attainment will benefit our students and regional businesses by filling the gap in projected bi-county workforce demand while increasing average household income.
The Inland Empire Region
The IE (4,622,361) represents 11.6% of the State’s population (39,557,045), 4.4% less than the Central Valley’s population.
The IE is the nation’s 13th largest metropolitan area. If the IE were a state it would rank 25th in terms of population, just above Kentucky, and rank 40th in terms of area.
SB County alone is the largest county in the contiguous US, and is larger than New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
Increasing our Educational Attainment
The IE produces 12% of California’s college-ready high school graduates…
BUT only 6% of the state’s BA degrees.
And even though the IE is 51% Hispanic, only 10% have a college degree. Both individuals and the labor market need more higher educational opportunities to spur Inland economic success.
The Projected Labor Market Gap
In 2030, California is projected to face a labor market gap of nearly 1.8 million jobs.
Over 1/3 of the 2030 labor market gap is expected to be in three regions, Los Angeles (425k gap), Inland Empire (141k gap) and Central Valley (74k gap).
In the Inland Empire, 43% of the projected unfilled jobs will require a bachelor’s degree.
Working Together on Solutions
We recognize that the best way to close the labor market gap is by increasing the number of bachelor degree conferrals in the region. We also recognize that the most effective way to spur economic success in this way is by partnering with a network of regional and national leaders across sectors and industries to jointly work on solutions.
GIA acts as a connector, researcher, and facilitator to create a network that focuses on issues impacting educational success for Inland students. To solve these educational problems, GIA brings together organizational and institutional leaders through Innovation Awards and Action Network Teams.
GIA REGIONAL GOALS
Increase educational attainment, with specific emphasis on accelerating success for historically marginalized student groups.
Foster an efficient, high-quality education system that creates equitable access for all students.
Build equitable structures in education to eradicate systemic racism.
Fuel a robust future economy that increases equitable career opportunities and employment.
Eliminate the chasms in wealth, income, and poverty rate which disproportionately affect people of color.