Friday, October 24, 2003
Promoters of San Antonio's manufacturing academy have got it right. Invest in the skills required by manufacturers. Companies may come and go, but the skilled will likely remain. People are a lot less willing to move.
As one notes, the Academy will develop "multiple skills, problem-solving skills, those will be needed by manufacturing, and that is what will stay here."
Students participating in the Academy will receive nearly one year of college credits during their junior and senior years. They will attend morning or afternoon classes at the Academy while continuing to study at their home high school the other half of the school day.
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:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
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.
San Antonio's manufacturing academy
