Stellar On Its Way to the Moon!

CAPSTONE, a NASA-funded lunar CubeSat project, is on its way to the moon with a propulsion system designed and built by Stellar Exploration, an engineering firm providing high-quality aerospace solutions for military, civil and commercial customers. Stellar Exploration
recently signed a Letter of Intent with the City of Paso Robles expressing the company's interest in developing small satellite technologies at the proposed Paso Robles Spaceport. The CAPSTONE CubeSat with the Stellar Exploration propulsion system is scheduled to enter into orbit around the moon on November 13th of this year.  

First European Letter of Intent

The City of Paso Robles has received its first international Letter of Intent (LOI) related to the Paso Robles Spaceport project.  The international LOI was submitted by UARX Space, a space technology company based in Spain that designs and builds spacecraft to put CubeSats into their desired orbits, from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to the moon and into deep space. The CEO and CTO of UARX both earned Masters degrees in Aerospace Engineering while students at Cal Poly.  The co-founders of UARX recently toured the proposed Paso Robles Spaceport and Tech Corridor area and met with City Councilmember John Hamon to discuss opportunities for international expansion in Paso Robles.

Sunstone Management

Mayor Martin, City staff, and Cal Poly CIO Bill Britton participated in virtual meetings with the CEO of Sunstone Management, John Keisler, about potential funding opportunities for startups in the proposed Paso Robles Tech Corridor. Sunstone Management, with the Sunstone Venture Capital Fund, is a diversified private capital firm located in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology entrepreneurs who demonstrate the promise to build great companies. Sunstone projects in Southern California include the Long Beach Accelerator and the 2022 Sunstone CSU Startup Launch.  Mr. Keisler expressed strong interest from Sunstone in developing a startup incubator in the proposed Paso Robles Tech Corridor.  Additional discussions are planned.

Silicon Valley Executive Network

The CEO of the Silicon Valley Executive Network (SVEN), Brian Reynard, recently visited Paso Robles to meet with Mayor Martin and representatives of Cal Poly regarding opportunities related to the Paso Robles Spaceport and Tech Corridor project.  Mr. Reynard expressed strong interest in the potential for investment in a future tech innovation hub in Paso Robles. SVEN is a private, invitation-only Human Network and Business Engine comprised of leading companies and executives representing the core DNA of the innovation ecosystem in Silicon Valley.  Additional discussions are planned.

5-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan Project Kicks-Off

The City of Paso Robles' 5-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) project kicked off in mid-June with individual in-person interviews conducted with City Councilmembers and the leadership of local stakeholder groups including the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, Travel Paso, The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Paso Robles Mainstreet Downtown Association, and the Hispanic Business Association, as well as with the Dean of Cuesta College North Campus.  Multiple additional onsite and virtual sessions are planned in the coming months including community outreach sessions.  The City of Paso Robles contracted with Willdan Financial Services to conduct the in-depth EDSP project which is estimated to take 9-12 months to complete.

Visitor of the Month...

Clint Weirick, District Representative in San Luis Obispo County for State Senator John Laird (SD-17), stopped by Paso Robles City Hall to meet with staff and discuss a number of topics related to the City's ongoing economic development initiatives.
(Pictured at right:  Mr. Weirick holds a full size CubeSat on loan to the City of Paso Robles from the CubeSat Lab in Cal Poly's Engineering Department.)

July is Independent Retailer Month!

Show your true colors by supporting local businesses!  We encourage people to shop independent retail year round and to use July as a time to celebrate the independent retailers that help build our local economy and add to our quality of life here on the beautiful Central Coast.  Independent Retailer Month encourages consumers to shop local and celebrate indie retailers, creating more sustainable cities, towns and communities.  

The City of Paso is Hiring!

You can now apply online by clicking on the job title you are interested in and clicking on the "Apply" link.  After viewing the Job Description, click the 'Apply' tab.  After your account has been established, you can import your resume from LinkedIn, upload it from a saved document on your computer, or manually enter your personal information.  Visit the City Career Pages to learn more!

North County Job Boards

Looking for work or looking to hire staff? 
Here are two North County Job Boards listing a wide range of available positions:

• Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Classifieds
  
  
• Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce Job Board

The "Pipeline" Report

Check out the numerous projects in process in our community.  The City of Paso Robles Community Development Department publishes The "Pipeline" Report with the status of Planning Entitlements and Building permits throughout the City. Click here to learn more.

Career Training Programs

Online courses and career training programs prepare you for a new career, or help you advance within your current occupation. Learn new skills and prepare for industry-recognized certifications.

Choose Your Next Career

New skills bring new opportunities, and SLO Partners offers professional training programs in high demand areas including:

• Digital Marketing
• Web Development
• Precision Manufacturing
• Cyber Security

Cal Poly Extension Tech Bootcamps

Powered by award-winning Fullstack Academy, the Cal Poly Extended Education Tech Bootcamps provide condensed, immersive programs taught by industry experts in convenient 100% live, online formats.
Bootcamp graduates leave ready for lucrative high-tech careers.  There’s no experience required to apply, be accepted, or succeed.

Plumbers and Pipefitters Apprenticeship Program

The Plumbers and Pipefitters Apprenticeship Program with Local Union #403 is a five (5) year training program. Apprentices earn while they learn, working on the job with Journeymen.  The beginning apprentice wage starts at $21.10 per hour with a package rate (benefits included) of $25.81 per hour. As of September 1, 2018, the Journeyman wage is $46.88 per hour with a package rate (benefits included) of $74.30 per hour.  
For information on additional programs visit https://www.pipecareers.com/

New Tools Added to Library’s Employment Resources

With funding from the California State Library, the Paso Robles City Library is pleased to make available several new tools from some of the top online learning companies to help library users with job training, skill building, test preparations and professional development.

Workforce Development Support

JobNow and VetNow programs offer learning, career, and veteran support tools, such as resume and writing labs and an extensive list of resources, in addition to in-person support, such as live job coaching, live veteran benefits eligibility, and live tutoring.  An Unemployment Benefits Navigator has recently been added to JobNow to assist patrons struggling to file for unemployment benefits. Find out more at the Paso Robles City Library.

Southland EDC

The Southland Economic Development Corporation is a non-profit Certified Development Company chartered to assist the small business community of California since 1980. Their mission is to be a resource to local small businesses in an effort to foster job creation and retention through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 loan program.

Loan Guarantee Program

The Small Business Loan Guarantee program helps businesses create and retain jobs, and encourages investment in low- to moderate-income communities. The program promotes statewide economic development by increasing opportunities for entrepreneurs, the self-employed, microbusiness and small business owners to have better access to capital and other technical resources.

Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government program that helps many low income households pay for broadband service and internet connected devices.

SBA COVID-19 Relief Options

Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. The SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.  COVID-19 portal

How To Apply for a Business License

Find out how to apply for a business license, including fees, taxes, and other required permits and forms.  The Department of Administrative Services is responsible for providing service to the general public, business license applicants and each existing licensee. Our objective is to assist each business in obtaining the proper business license and/or permit and to ensure proper compliance to the business license code for all businesses transacting business within the city.  

City Website Business Tools  

The City has updated the Economic Development section on the City website.  Details on related programs along with specialized business development tools can be found in this section, including tools for Business Data, Smart Mapping, Demographic Data, Talent Pool, Opportunity Zone, Community Profile, and links for researching commercial property listings.

Public Mapping Applications

The City IT department has been hard at work developing and implementing the City’s new ArcGIS Enterprise system. This new platform will replace ArcReader and has allowed for the development of both public and staff GIS desktop and mobile applications. There are a number of applications already being utilized with additional functionality and layer content on the way.  Visit the City website and take the new mapping tools for a spin!

THE SANDBOX Paso Robles

THE SANDBOX Paso Robles is a co-working, shared office & event space offering a variety of dedicated and private desks and offices as well as meeting spaces that are perfect for remote workers, entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, freelancers and more.

Video Marketing Strategies That Generate Engagement and Leads

With so many different types of cameras, audio equipment, and lighting kits, video marketing can be a complex medium to break into. Still, video can be a huge marketing tool, and without it, you will see a significant impact on your leads and income. In this webinar, you will learn how to use video marketing strategies to generate customer engagement and new business leads.

Retail Strategies that Address Supply Chain, Social Commerce, and More

Supply-chain, digital disruption, evolving customer expectations, retaining employees, modern marketing and inflation are just a few of the many challenges that retail owners are facing in today's times. In celebration of National Independent Retailer month, this workshop has dedicated a full hour to answering any question you might have about running a retail business.

Solutions to the Challenges of Rural Business Ownership

“The economic potential of small businesses in rural America is far-reaching and has the potential to be a significant contributor to the country’s sustained economic growth.” Amazon.  While this may be the case, there are significant barriers entrepreneurs in rural environments face, some of which include access to capital, connectivity and labor.

Small Business Cybersecurity and Scam Defense Strategies

As cyber threats and scams increased rapidly in the past 12 months, Trend Micro and Scamadviser experts team up to provide important updates about today's digital technology landscape and how to keep your business protected. Cyber experts will provide critical updates on how criminals are leveraging technological advancements to commit fraud and scams and how to protect your business.

Your Marketing Roadmap - Content, Publicity and Personal Branding

The "Your Marketing Roadmap" webinar will address how to integrate content marketing, publicity and personal branding to grow your business. In this webinar you will learn how to use content to build trust with your audience, start and build a personal brand, and enhance the credibility of your brand using publicity

The Role of Technology in Restaurant Recruitment and Retention

As restaurants plot a course for pandemic recovery, one of the biggest hurdles they face is building back staffing levels and retaining employees in today's tight labor market. To solve these staffing challenges, many restaurant operators are putting lessons learned from the pandemic to use by taking an innovative, technology-assisted approach to recruiting and retention.