What is CERF

California Jobs First, formerly known as the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) was created by the California Legislature to promote a sustainable and equitable recovery from the economic distress of the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians. CA Jobs First includes approximately $500M in rolling, competitive grants to be split between the state’s 13 regions from 2022 to 2026. It is a massive investment in regional inclusive economic development with the potential to drastically transform historically disadvantaged communities.

As the Inland Empire prepares for a more technological, sustainable, carbon-neutral future, we must center the most important asset in the region: The People. The Inland Empire High Road Transition Collaborative (IE-HRTC) - now known as Thrive Inland SoCal - was created with CA Jobs First planning funds and is building the partnerships and capacity to make that future a reality.