Saturday, March 06, 2004
Workforce issues will continue to dominate economic development over the next twenty years.
We are simply not producing enough skilled workers to replace the aging Baby Boom generation.
The latest evidence: a report by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), ACT Inc. and the College Board. The study projects the number of high school graduates will peak in 2008-09 at 3.2 million, about the time that Baby Boom retirments start accelerating
A slow but steady decline in the number of enrollments and graduates is expected to occur in most parts of the U.S., following the peak year.
Here is a summary table prepared by the State Science & Technology Institute Go.
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.
Resource: State projections of high school graduates
