“We Have the Site, But We Need the Workforce!” (cont.)

Figure 2 is taken from data compiled by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. from a product called Strategic Advantage. This example examines local employment over the same period, but is much more in-depth than the employment data shown on the previous page. A site selector now has a snapshot of the key business clusters in your area.

There is a cost associated with such valueadded information, but one that can be shared with the local Workforce Investment Board (WIB), the community college and other economic development agencies. A side benefit to such collaboration is that each agency casts its own values on the information, adding insights that you, or the site consultant, may not have had earlier.

Keep in mind…

These are just the basics that your agency should have available on your Web site. Too often, the request for information (“demand”may be a more appropriate term) comes suddenly, as a Friday afternoon phone call with an impossible deadline of close-of-business Monday. Yet with a little planning, these data can be on your Web site already. Then the response time to such a request is quick: just copy and paste into the form. Remember, the more precise your community’s information, the more likely it will make it onto the ‘short’ list, as well as a future search by that consultant.

Also remember that the type of industry the site selector represents will help determine the kind of information requested. Here are two examples:

• A manufacturer may be searching for a workforce that is available within a 30-minute driving distance of the plant. This drive time may have been estimated based upon the distance an employee will drive for a $12 per hour wage rate (beyond that range, the drive might be too expensive). Again, value-added reports will provide these data. These reports generally include visuals, such as ring maps and aerials, that make data interpretation easier.

• A retailer may want to know the number of spouses and children over 16 within a five-mile radius of a new store, since it will be providing largely part-time employment. Most of these data can be found from any number of commercial demographic reports or services, or free from the U.S. Census Bureau and local universities.

If your community is using a service for your building and site database, the service will include these reports automatically for each location.Many of us in Illinois and the Midwest use Location One, designed for state and local economic development agencies, but other popular commercial services may be licensed as well.

Here’s an obvious question that we haven’t answered yet: For workforce information, why doesn’t the consultant just go to the WIB’s Web site, or contact another labor or training agency? Well, as the typical the first point of contact for site selectors, it benefits the local economic development organization to know this information and be able to provide it readily. Plus, keep in mind that your employment and training partners may not have the economic development best practices training that you do and, therefore, may not be able to pull together the information as quickly or easily, or understand the intricate connections among demographics, available locations and workforce.

The benefits of collecting and sharing information

Developing partnerships and sharing information with the WIB, the community college and other training agencies will enhance your ability to provide better data about your existing workforce.

In McHenry County, the workforce information our partnership collects is being used on several levels. First, county planners are incorporating our research into the upcoming 2030 comprehensive land use plan. Second, long-standing partnerships with McHenry County College, the WIB and local employers have resulted in a “boot camp” concept to train replacement workers for retiring baby boomers; welding is an example of a prime workforce skill that is now being successfully addressed. Finally, the information is essential to shaping our own agency’s economic development strategies, as well as those of our sister agencies at the community level.

Besides, just having the information readily available will make life easier for you and your prospects. The more easily you can answer their questions, the more likely your community will end up landing a project or expansion. Simply put: it’s customer service.

For more information, visit the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation on the Web at www.mcedc.com.

« Page 1