Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness

CREC co-founder and CEO Ken Poole shares how the BEA's disappointing decision to stop producing County Employment Data by Industry will impact regional economic development.

The Substance Use Disorder (SUD) crisis has impacted communities across the United States, but few regions have struggled as much as Appalachia. To help address this crisis, CREC worked with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to create the Recovery to Work Ecosystem Builders Guide, a toolkit to help Appalachian communities cope with this ongoing challenge. If your region is struggling with SUD, here are some practical steps you can take to mitigate the damage. Bob Isaacson Brendan Buff

?? Artificial intelligence is transforming economic development. But how? In our latest blog post, economic development experts Jeffrey DeBellis and Maggie Smith from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and Erik Vasilauskas from the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research share their insights into how AI might improve economic performance at the state level. The post includes a conversation with Erik, Jeff, and Maggie, who underscored A.I.’s potential to significantly boost productivity and decision-making in economic development while advocating for responsible use of these technologies. There's a lot of practical information at the link below. Have a look! https://lnkd.in/eYfgd5Hm Bob Isaacson Leif Olson

CREC Driving Success in Economic Development The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) is empowering state economic development leaders to thrive by fostering better alignment between federal, state, and regional strategies. In partnership with the EDA, CREC led several initiatives to enhance collaboration and strategic alignment, which are key to driving impactful economic outcomes. Key Highlights: --Documented best practices in collaborative economic recovery. --Developed the State and Local Economic Development Strategies (SLEDS) Database for better strategic alignment. --Supported over 1,000 professionals through webinars and workshops. --Implemented a year-long Policy Academy to help six states improve long-term alignment. For more information check out our work at https://lnkd.in/eF2ygKpY By building stronger partnerships, CREC is shaping a more coherent and successful economic future for states and regions. #EconomicDevelopment #Leadership #StrategicAlignment #CREC #EDA #Collaboration #StateLeaders #Growth

Your economic and employment data are facing unprecedented risks. Years of disinvestment have led to a plan by the BLS to reduce the sample size for the Current Population Survey, putting other survey programs in jeopardy. Despite intentions to modernize BLS activities, delays persist. In a recent article by Bloomberg, the importance of public statistics in driving economic prosperity is underscored. It's crucial for all of us to advocate for the preservation of accurate data. Reach out to your Congressional representatives and emphasize the significance of maintaining gold standard data for the benefit of American economic interests. #DataQuality #EconomicProsperity #BLS #PublicStatistics

Our chief operating officer, Natalie Lewis and our employment engagement manager, DeLano J. Sheffield, Mdiv., attended an event last month sponsored by the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness. The data they received allows us to better understand the challenges that the Kansas City metro area faces. We will learn from these insights and continue to build a brighter, stronger future for Kansas City's workforce. #WorkforceDevelopment #GreatJobsKC

The Arizona Commerce Authority hired CREC and SRI to understand how innovative facilities and training opportunities statewide can augment Arizona’s leading position in the semiconductor industry. Arizona can now better understand what information is available to make strategic long-term decisions. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ebYiznDK

Do you want to better communicate and market your public sector agency or organization? Attend this FREE presentation on Aug 27 at 2:00 and come away with a framework and strategies for effective marketing on a public sector budget. The speaker will be Danielle Tharaldson, Marketing Manager at CareerOneStop. Join us! https://lnkd.in/eGhuPnjy

Paul Eisenstein said it best, DED needs your input! This week I had a neat opportunity to help facilitate workshops for the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) as we update Missouri’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Stefan Herron has done an incredible job over the last 2 years coordinating DED’s CEDS efforts and now we’re gathering input from our regional and local partners. We, along with Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness , have been engaging with partners in the Columbia and Sedalia areas sharing data on a handful of Missouri’s industries and how to further optimize them over the next several years. Upcoming Workshops: -Next Week: Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, and Springfield - Following Week: Kansas City and Marceline - First Week of September: St. Louis If you’re in the sphere of local/regional economic development or interested in Missouri’s strategic direction for the coming years, we’d love to have you at our workshops. Register now to join us in shaping Missouri’s future: https://lnkd.in/g7P7NEWT Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. #EconomicDevelopment #MissouriCEDS #Workshops #CommunityEngagement #TeamDED

CREC hosted teams from Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas for the Data User Insights Academy launch. Participants are advancing efforts on labor market information access and use in their states.? Ken Poole Marty Romitti Tucker Plumlee