Undersecretary: Guv taps EDH man

Brian McMahon, 62 of El Dorado Hills, was recently appointed undersecretary at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (CLWDA) by Gov. Jerry Brown.

CLWDA is a cabinet level agency that coordinates the workforce programs of six different state departments including the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Employment Development Department, the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, the Workforce Investment Board, the Department of Industrial Relations, and the Employment Training Panel.

McMahon was previously the executive director at the California Employment Training Panel, director of strategic initiatives for MH West Inc., executive director for the California Workforce Investment Board, and corporate vice president and west coast manager of Strategic Partnerships LLC.

McMahon has also served as president for the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, been the director at the Office of Local Development in the California Trade and Commerce Agency, worked as chief of staff for the office of state Sen. Robert Beverly, and was assistant consultant to the California State Senate’s Governmental Organization Committee. He has a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University.

McMahon said his job focus will be on workforce employment and training as well as fostering statewide policies that are conducive to job growth.

According to the last reporting period in November, the unemployment rate in the state was 9.8 percent, which he said is a decline from a high of 12.4 percent in 2010. However, the unemployment rate for those 18 to 24 years of age is higher. In the past 18 months he said the state has added more jobs than any other state in the nation, primarily in the areas of commercial services, construction, and healthcare.

“There has been a slow but steady decline in the unemployment rate and the California economy is on the path to recovery,” he maintained.

McMahon said future job growth in the state will continue to be in healthcare along with the tech sector and biotechnology.

“We want to make sure that programs for middle skill jobs are available so people are trained to fill them. An example would be a technician in the healthcare sector.”

Working closely with the U.S. Department of Labor, community colleges, and the Department of Education, McMahon said the agency is also working to ensure that high school graduates can enter into apprentice programs or training programs where they can earn a certificate or credential to qualify for work.

He said his personal goal is to help California’s workforce programs be effective in job creation and to ensure policies and programs support that goal in reducing the number of unemployed.

McMahon is married and has three children and five grandchildren. He said he is a fourth generation Californian and has lived in El Dorado County for 21 years. His wife is a division director at the California Public Utilities Commission.

Compensation for the position is $132,300 a year.

Contact Dawn Hodson at 530-344-5071 or dhodson@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @DHodsonMtDemo on Twitter.