County’s Workforce Entry and Economic Growth Initiative

The County Executive’s Office of the County of San Mateo is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to develop and administer the County’s Workforce Entry and Economic Growth Initiative pilot program (the “Program”). As detailed further below, the Program aims to increase the hiring of entry-level employees and support the County’s private sector small and medium-sized businesses by subsidizing early wages of new full-time hires who recently earned college degrees or trade certificates.

Individuals transitioning from degree or certificate programs to the workforce are increasingly facing barriers to hiring due to their lack of experience in their selected industry. These barriers apply both to young adults seeking their first, entry-level job out of college as well as to older adults who returned to school to improve or redirect their career paths in a new discipline. The Public Policy Institute of California reports that workers aged 20 to 24 in California experienced an unemployment rate of 10.8% in May 2025, nearly three times the County’s typical overall rate. Economic analysts describe the current challenging job market as a “no hire, no fire economy.”

To address these challenges, the County Board of Supervisors on February 10, 2026, adopted a resolution allocating $2,000,000 to launch the Program and approve its general structure and key requirements. The County Executive’s Office is initiating a competitive request for proposals process to identify a qualified contractor to administer the Program and develop detailed guidelines for its administration.

Contact Information

Project Contacts:
Henry Nibbelin
Management Analyst
Email: hnibbelin2@smcgov.org
Phone: (650) 363-4259

Rocio Kiryczun

Deputy County Executive

Email: rkiryczun@smcgov.org

Phone: (650) 363-4132

Nicholas Calderon

Deputy County Executive

Email: ncalderon@smcgov.org

Phone: (650) 599-1386