Friday, February 07, 2003
Governor Rendell in Pennsylvania has started to focus on an important dimension of economic development that costs no additional money: workforce development.
In workforce development, the problem is not a lack of money but the unfocused way it is used.
"We spend $1.2 billion on workforce development and only 5 percent of that is market-driven," Rendell said. Noting that those funds are spread among 47 separate programs administered by five different state departments, he observed recently in Pittsburgh, "That's insane."
The WIA was supposed to improve the system, but relatively little is changed. It is still a fragmented grants system that is largely controlled by the providers.
posted by Ed Morrison |
Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
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Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
The challenge of fixing workforce development
