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  • Implementing the WIAC’s Recommendations Would Transform Workforce Data for State and Regional Action

    Implementing the WIAC’s Recommendations Would Transform Workforce Data for State and Regional Action

    In late November, the Workforce Information Advisory Commission (WIAC) released their recommendations to improve the Workforce and Labor Market Information System for data users. These recommendations represent a pivotal opportunity to reshape the way we understand and respond to the complexities of our workforce and labor markets. For years, workforce development practitioners, economic developers, and data users alike have grappled with an outdated and fragmented Workforce and Labor Market Information (WLMI) system that struggles to deliver the localized, timely, and actionable insights necessary for informed decision-making. WIAC’s vision adopts the principles of adaptability, inclusiveness, and innovation that are essential for thriving in the 21st century economy.

    At the heart of WIAC’s recommendations is the commitment to providing localized and actionable data—the lifeblood of effective workforce and economic development. Today’s professionals need data that reflects the nuances of their communities and regions, not generalized national trends. Businesses deciding where to locate, workers choosing training programs, and policymakers crafting legislation all benefit from more granular insights into skills demands, job growth, and economic trends. WIAC’s proposal to leverage new data sources and enhance the National Labor Exchange (NLx) is a transformative step toward closing these information gaps and ensuring local leaders have the tools they need to act decisively.

    Equally significant is WIAC’s focus on timeliness and accessibility. Economic and workforce development are fast-moving in this information age. Outdated data render well-intentioned strategies ineffective. Real-time, machine-readable data using enhanced APIs and greater federal-state-local collaboration in data sharing can help break down barriers to data access, according to the WIAC, if well intentioned. Digitizing data and expanding its access can empower data users to respond more swiftly to market changes and offer insights for many smaller organizations and communities that previously were making subjective, data-free policy decisions.

    Finally, WIAC’s call for collaboration and innovation is a game-changer. By promoting open-source solutions and sharing best practices across states and regions, the recommendations create a culture of shared progress. This collaborative model aligns perfectly with the values of economic and workforce development practitioners, who understand the power of partnership in driving success. When one community develops an effective tool or strategy, others should have the ability to adapt it to meet their unique challenges, amplifying its impact across the country.

    WIAC’s recommendations aren’t just about fixing what’s broken, they’re about reimagining what’s possible. If we think differently, we use our limited resources in new and more productive ways. The WIAC offers a new vision for a workforce data system that is responsive, inclusive, and ready to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economy. For economic and workforce development professionals, this is a call to action to become more active in transforming the WLMI system to ensure it is meeting the needs of citizens, businesses, and government alike—those for whom these data are intended.

     

  • WHITE PAPER: AI’s Impact on Regional Economic Development

    WHITE PAPER: AI’s Impact on Regional Economic Development

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming regional economic landscapes, bringing both significant opportunities and challenges. A new white paper by the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) examines how AI is not only reshaping economies, but how it could transform the practice of economic development. The white paper emphasizes the need for policymakers and practitioners to embrace a few strategic approaches to leverage AI’s potential while addressing its risks to the work that economic developers do.

    Opportunities and Challenges of AI Integration

    AI offers numerous benefits for regional economies, such as boosting productivity, fostering innovation, and supporting economic diversification. It can also help refine economic development strategies to identify emerging industry clusters, optimize supply chains, and enhance workforce training programs. Economic developers should also consider how AI could streamline licensing and permitting, reduce administrative burdens for companies, and increase transparency in how government uses tax dollars. Even so, automation of many administrative and basic research tasks will displace jobs, especially in activities that involve routine tasks. This could widen economic disparities. So, economic development practice will require proactive measures to reskill workers and build ethical practices to govern AI implementation.

    Practical Applications in Regional Development

    Economic development agencies should use AI to improve their program outcomes by analyzing growth patterns and identifying high-potential businesses. Rural areas can benefit from AI to optimize agricultural practices or stabilize existing businesses. When used to review and refine tax incentives and streamline regulatory processes, AI can make economic development programs more effective and impactful.

    Balancing Innovation with Inclusive Growth

    As AI advances, it is crucial for economic development professionals consider both its impacts on the adoption of innovation as well as its impact on workforce inclusion. Integrating AI responsibly in our economic development work and our understanding of our economies are changing can position regions for sustainable growth, fostering competitive advantages and building resilient, future-ready communities. But, we must take proactive action to incorporate AI into our industries and the day-to-day work of economic development practitioners and not wait for someone to tell us what to do.

    To read more about these insights and strategic recommendations, download our white paper (PDF) on the opportunities and risks associated with AI.

    White Paper: AI Impact on Regional Economic Development

  • BEA Stopped Producing County Employment Data by Industry to Everyone’s Detriment

    BEA Stopped Producing County Employment Data by Industry to Everyone’s Detriment

    Over the past two decades, BEA has sought to engage with local economic data users, providing insights about the GDP at the state and county level – helping counties and regions better understand how well they are performing economically. These data have also allowed local leaders to understand their gig economy and entrepreneurial behavior through measures of self-employment as well as offering an understanding of which sectors rely most on self-employed workers. 

    For example, several years ago, CREC studied the Nashville area workforce. In a particularly poignant example during this week of the Country Music Awards, our wage data didn’t really find much about the music industry. But we knew from anecdotal evidence that it was important.  A look at BEA self-employed-by-industry data revealed a huge concentration of musicians and songwriters in the region. We learned from BEA that a very large share of people working in this industry are gig workers – not salaried or hourly employees. However, with the loss of the BEA data on self-employed by industry, this unique fact will be lost, and employment trends for this important segment of the Nashville economy will be much harder to find in the public data.

    We know why BEA made the decision to stop producing county employment data by industry: they simply no longer had the resources to do the work. The implications will be to reduce the quality of all employment data available from public and private sources alike, which will have wide-ranging implications for many of us who depend on this data to make smarter workforce and economic development decisions. For that, we are truly disappointed.

  • Five Steps to Address Regional Workforce Challenges Surrounding the Substance Use Disorder Crisis

    Five Steps to Address Regional Workforce Challenges Surrounding the Substance Use Disorder Crisis

    Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has impacted nearly every community across the United States. Few regions, however, have felt the brunt of this impact as strongly as Appalachia. According to our partners at the Appalachia Regional Commission, overdose-related mortality rates for people ages 25–54 in 2021 was 72 percent higher in Appalachia than the rest of the country.

    To address the SUD crisis, the ARC hired CREC (through its Development District Association of Appalachia network) to create a Recovery to Work Ecosystem Builder’s Guide. This innovative guide helps LDDs and various stakeholders develop holistic support systems to address preparation for employment, housing, and transportation needs for individuals in recovery.

     There are five phases in building an ecosystem for your region:

    1. Defining Your Ecosystem: collaboration is critical in building effective recovery-to-work ecosystems. By bringing together diverse organizations and services, ecosystem champions can better support individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, underscoring the need for strategic planning and leadership to create strong regional ecosystems.
    2. Getting Organized: move from vision to action in organizing regional stakeholders for a comprehensive recovery-to-work ecosystem. After initial connections with other organizations, convene a broader group to identify gaps and collaboration opportunities within the regional ecosystem. By addressing these issues early on, you can lay the groundwork for effective engagement with employers and other key stakeholders.
    3. Preparing People and Companies: shift the focus to understanding the needs of both job-seeking individuals in recovery and employers in the region. By collaborating with ecosystem partners, practitioners should aim to identify candidates for employment and facilitate connections with suitable job opportunities. Engage in discussions with companies about hiring individuals in recovery prompts ideas for enhancing workplace support and policies.
    4. Support Continued Success: sustaining long-term success requires comprehensive support. Research highlights the strong correlation between employment and recovery outcomes, emphasizing the need for integrated services. Expanding partnerships becomes imperative to address these needs, especially in rural areas, emphasizing the collaborative effort required for long-term success.
    5. Sustainability: the focus now shifts to ensuring sustainability within the recovery-to-work ecosystem. Regular meetings of ecosystem champions can serve as a platform to identify gaps, explore opportunities, and discuss strategies for long-term viability. It’s crucial to leverage both local and external resources, including government entities, foundations, businesses, and educational institutions, to sustain ongoing efforts.

    By leveraging the ARC’s Recovery to Work Builder’s Guide, you can start creating and sustaining an ecosystem that values all your citizens and creates a more prosperous future for your region.

    If you want to learn how your region can tackle its complex workforce and economic development challenges, email Brendan Buff, Director of Rural Development, at bbuff@crec.net.

  • How Arizona Is Boosting its Semiconductor Advantage

    How Arizona Is Boosting its Semiconductor Advantage

    The semiconductor industry, and its entire value chain, is critical for US national security and economic competitiveness. Currently, Arizona is primed to boost its leadership in this sector given their existing footprint in semiconductor research, design, and production stretching across the state.

    To build on Arizona’s existing strategic advantage, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) hired CREC and SRI to understand how innovative facilities and training opportunities statewide can advance Arizona’s leading position in the semiconductor industry.

    Kolu Wilson, Chief Workforce Officer for ACA, said the comprehensive inventory of education and training assets helped ACA take advantage of immediate opportunities to develop these assets. “CREC and SRI’s detailed report came at the exact right time. Thanks to their work, we can now fortify Arizona’s strategic advantage in this mission-critical sector with training and education partners.”

    The semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystem in Arizona is supported by 630 unique assets, including 90 education and training providers, including post-secondary institutions, career and technical education districts, and private training providers. In addition to highlighting important R&D specializations at four-year universities, the team identified a critical role for community colleges and CTE programming in strengthening collaboration statewide.

    CREC partnered with tech-based economic and workforce development strategists in SRI’s Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy to produce the inventory and accompanying report. By taking a holistic look at the semiconductor education and training assets in the state, Arizona is better positioned than ever to leverage their existing advantage in the sector and understand what data sets are required to make strategic long-term decisions.

    For more information about analyzing industry sectors and regional economic activity, contact Allison Forbes at aforbes@crec.net.

  • Expanding Access to LMI Data for Labor Market Practitioners Through Interstate Collaboration

    Expanding Access to LMI Data for Labor Market Practitioners Through Interstate Collaboration

    In the Spring of 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) funded the Labor Market Information (LMI) Institute and Projections Managing Partnership (PMP) to develop a project aimed at enhancing the ability of LMI data users to access, collect, analyze, and communicate high-quality labor market information to their stakeholders. As a part of this project, the LMI Institute and PMP have engaged six state teams in the Data User Insights Academy, a nine-month process that convenes state LMI agencies and their data users to develop collaborative solutions addressing important data access and usage challenges in their state.

    The Academy kicked off with teams from all six states gathering in June for an in-person, cross-state strategic planning workshop. Since then, state teams have been making strong progress on projects ranging from user-informed data dashboard development to training local data advocates. Positive feedback from participating states and strong interest from others has led to the selection of an additional Academy cohort, which will likely begin in Winter 2025 – check back for more details!

    For more information about aligning your regions for greater prosperity, email Tucker Plumlee at tplumlee@crec.net.

  • Enhancing Education and Workforce Development Initiatives in Support of Defense Industries

    Enhancing Education and Workforce Development Initiatives in Support of Defense Industries

    Under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program, CREC is helping to leverage Education and Workforce Development (EWD) resources to leverage a stronger defense manufacturing workforce development ecosystem. Through this effort, CREC is tasked with developing a clearer sense of how the Manufacturing USA institutes approach EWD, including their capacity and priorities; 2) creating a database of stakeholders to include government partners / programs, industry and industry representatives, federal programs’ state-level networks, investment boards, and community colleges; 3) supporting communications and outreach; and 4) working to expand regional workforce development initiatives. 

    Senior Workforce Fellow Mike Gilroy will lead CREC’s work on this effort. If you have any questions about ManTech or any DOD related workforce development issues, please email Mike at mgilroy@crec.net. 

     

     

  • Facilitating the Alignment of State and Regional Strategies

    Facilitating the Alignment of State and Regional Strategies

    CREC recently completed a three-year work program under a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop and support best practices in how states and regions can work more collaborative to align and integrate their economic efforts. CREC worked closely with the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation, the State International Development Organizations (SIDO), and the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC) to make stronger connections between states and Economic Development Districts (EDDs).

    As part of that work, CREC coordinated a cohort learning academy involving six states and their local partners, aimed at better aligning state economic development strategies with EDD Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies.  Through this project, CREC sought to establish a new culture of state and regional collaboration to support economic recovery and growth. CREC conducted research on strategies in all 50 states, six territories, and nearly 400 economic development districts, creating a taxonomy and database of economic development strategies for further analysis. 

     

    For more information on this project or any project regarding economic development and regional alignment, please email SVP Bob Isaacson at bisaccson@crec.net. 

  • Expanding the Capacity of Key Workforce and Economic Development Organizations to Use Data to Inform Regional and Local Economic Decisions

    Expanding the Capacity of Key Workforce and Economic Development Organizations to Use Data to Inform Regional and Local Economic Decisions

    In August 2024, CREC received a two-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to increase the capabilities of data users and data providers to inform education and training investments that strengthen regional economies. CREC will work to create a pipeline of organizations – including economic development organizations, community colleges, and workforce boards – to improve their regional data systems by providing learning and assessment opportunities via eLearning, live instruction, webinars, and technical assistance. This builds on a previous initiative aimed at helping to provide workforce development professionals the data they need to build more equitable career and education pathways for Black and Latinx youth.

    Through this and related efforts, CREC will work closely with field leaders to describe and advance data sharing models that address input, access, and interpretation challenges, ultimately identifying a few regional hubs for further exploration. Through this work, CREC hopes to identify a regional solution that provides access to restricted wage data and helps strengthen post-secondary pathways.

    Contact SVP Allison Forbes for more information on the Gates Foundation project or any workforce and economic development questions you might have: aforbes@crec.net.

  • Mapping Workforce Initiatives for Semiconductors with the Arizona Commerce Authority

    Mapping Workforce Initiatives for Semiconductors with the Arizona Commerce Authority

    In July 2024, CREC wrapped up partnering with SRI to identify and map semiconductor education and training assets for the Workforce Subgroup of the Semiconductor Task Force at the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). ACA is using the information to engage companies in the semiconductor supply chain to motivate continued foreign direct investment (FDI) based on its ability to respond to the talent needs of this critical US industry.

    For context: The ACA focuses on recruiting quality companies and jobs for Arizona as well as the expansion of companies already there. ACA is a quasi-governmental public-private collaboration serving in the role as the state’s Commerce agency.

    Contact SVP Allison Forbes for more information on the ACA project or any workforce and economic development questions you might have: aforbes@crec.net.