CREC News

CREC is working with EntreWorks, RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, and PolicyOne Research to conduct a multi-year study for the Maine Department of Economic Development of state economic development program outcomes. The state's Comprehensive Economic Development Evaluation focuses on examining a wide array of Maine's policies and programs in economic development, entrepreneurship, and business and tax incentives. The project began in August 2008 and is expected to continue through the spring 2009 when the first year's results will become available.
Effective July 1st CREC has taken on the role as association manager for the Association of Public Data Users (APDU). CREC is working closely with the APDU Board of Directors to ensure the organization's on-going success. APDU, a national organization, was established 33 years ago and represents a network of public data producers, disseminators, and users concerned about the quality and availability of federal statistics.
In May 2008, the Racine County Workforce Development Board revealed their workforce strategy – "Higher Expectations." Produced in collaboration with CREC, the strategy identifies six major initiatives designed to address each of the county's most important challenges related to (1) raising standards for public education; (2) supporting stronger, more financially stable families; (3) creating jobs in communities with concentrated unemployment; (4) enhancing workforce transportation alternatives; (5) improving information about job opportunities in new and expanding companies; and (6) communicating a more positive community image. The plan was completed in close collaboration with the area business leaders as well as economic development, education, government, and the philanthropic community.
CREC is currently assisting the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission (Rutherfordton, NC) in updating their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). CREC had helped the IPDC draft their original strategy in 2005.
Working in conjunction with Business Development Advisors (BDA), CREC is working on a report identifying the processes used to develop life sciences clusters in six different cities (Cleveland, Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and St. Louis). This work—commissioned by Detroit Renaissance—is a follow-up to a similar report commissioned in 2007 that looked at 10 leading US life sciences clusters.
CREC is working with 3 workforce development boards in Western North Carolina (High County WDB, Region C WDB and Western Piedmont WDB) and the Advantage West Economic Development Group, to draft a memorandum of agreement that will allow for more coordinated and effective delivery of workforce-related services in the region.
CREC/C2ER is currently working on a project for the Georgia Governor's Office of Workforce Development. This effort will provide data to support the Governor's Work Ready Regions initiative.
CREC is currently working on a project for the Hawaii Science and Technology Council evaluating Hawaii's S&T industries.
CREC/C2ER delivered seminar about formulating data-driven economic development strategies at the Philadelphia-Chicago Regional Economic Development Conference in Cleveland in May 2008.
CREC/C2ER delivered training related to creating data-driven, economic development strategies for the Advantage West Economic Development Group's Economic Development Advisory Council at Appalachian State University in April 2008.
CREC participated in the NIST MEP 2008 Annual Conference in Orlando on April 27-30, 2008 to document the role of MEP in the WIRED Initiatives.
CREC/C2ER delivered training related to creating data-driven, economic development strategies at the National Association of Workforce Boards in Washington, DC in February 2008.
Ken Poole and Mark White presented the findings of the Greater Nashville Area's Labor Market Opportunity study to key groups of area business people, economic and workforce development professionals and representatives from high education in January 2008.

Archived News