Thursday, March 06, 2003
Amid tight budget times, North Carrolina is setting the right priorities. In a brainpower economy, education is economic development.
Here are some excerpts from Governor Easley's State of the State address. He articulates messages that every EDPro should know:
"...the most important ingredient to attracting new jobs is a prepared workforce. Those businesses that look here -- who want to invest hundreds of millions in North Carolina -- demand a skilled workforce.
"The North Carolina workforce of today, tomorrow, and the next decade will be highly skilled. They know the investments we are making, and they know they are paying off.
"Now, contrast that with the majority of other states that are cutting education -- 29 are cutting higher education and 23 are cutting K-12, while we are investing more in education.
"Our strategy is simple: In the future, the most skilled workforce in America will be found within the borders of this state."
The Governor cites the state's commiment to both pre-school and character education as evidence that North Carolina is expanding its commitment to education while other states are cutting back.
posted by Ed Morrison |
links
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.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
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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.
North Carolina: Education is Economic Development
