This Wednesday, Sonoma State is hosting the annual Economic Outlook Conference (EOC), put on by the School of Business and Economics in partnership with the North Bay Business Journal. 

The conference, which will take place inside the new ballroom within the Student Center, will include a keynote address by the Chancellor of the CSU system, Timothy P. White. White will be discussing the role of education in today’s workplace as well as the future economic goals of the CSU system. 

The address will be coming off White’s recent State of the CSU address on Jan. 29  where he committed an extra $50 million to CSU education. 

Also speaking at the Economic Outreach Conference will be Sonoma State’s Director of the Center for Regional Economic Analysis Robert Eyler, who also serves as an economics professor. Eyler has been speaking at the conference since becoming director in 2001. 

Eyler will be presenting his annual forecast for the National, State, and local North Bay economies as they span out over the next year and progress onto the years to come. 

“Attendees will hear perspectives on labor markets and how people will both find and search for jobs in the workforce as well,” said Eyler. “From me, you will hear about the national, state, and regional economies as well as looking ahead to the rest of the year and decade.” 

When Eyler was asked how the Economic Outreach Conference has benefitted Sonoma State in years past, he said, “I think the progression has been large in the last 10 years, as the business links through our president, the dean of the School of Business and Economics, and faculty have grown quickly and deeply.”

Along with White and Eyler,  a panel of the North Bay region’s leading CEOs and business leaders will also be speaking at the conference.  Representatives from companies such as Keysight Technologies and oDesk will be on the Workforce 2020 panel addressing the current and future workforce as well as providing possible employment opportunities. 

The representatives present are strongly encouraging students to also be present at the conference.  

The conference could be pivotal for students to attend in such a time where educational and economic uncertainty have played a role in students’ outlook on their future.

“The leader of the CSU system wants to involve more businesses and the business community throughout the world to further benefit our students,” said Eyler. 

Fourth year and Business Marketing major Brandon Morris says he plans on attending the conference because he wishes to seek out internship opportunities as well as examine how the current business workplace is structured out. 

“With today’s job market in the business industry, opportunities are very scarce to come by,” said Morris. “When the school hosts these types of events, it is the perfect chance to get your name out there with different companies because you never know what kind of relationships you can establish and what may become of them in the future.”

Fifth year and economics major Kirsten Armstrong is also on the same page as she plans to attend the conference to seek out future employment opportunities. 

“I will be graduating at the end of next semester and I am still not even sure what my plans are after that,” said Armstrong. “I hope to meet with some potential employers to help me  further determine  my plans after graduation as well as educate myself on the current roles of the business workforce.”

The conference will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, taking place inside of the master ballroom located in the Student Center.