ED Now

Technological innovations in artificial intelligence, life sciences, sustainable energy, and other fields will have wide-ranging transformational effects in the U.S., including the concentration of jobs and R&D in (mostly coastal) early-adopter metro hubs. Additional hubs in the Midwest and South are early adopters of AI applications in the production of goods and services. To maximize economic development opportunities associated with AI and other innovations, investing in workforce training and housing production where jobs are located will be critical.

Consider the paper ceiling—when not having a bachelor’s degree prevents skilled workers from accessing jobs in a labor market that needs them. Between 2012 and 2019, 69% of new jobs in the U.S. required a bachelor’s degree, excluding 70 million workers from a significant portion of the job market. This phenomenon reflects the nation’s overreliance on college degrees as an indicator of job readiness. Businesses must shift their emphasis from requiring a bachelor’s degree to possessing key skills, and entrepreneurship education teaches these crucial skills. This shift requires the participation and support of economic developers.

In today's rapidly evolving economy, the traditional boundaries between academia and industry are becoming increasingly blurred. As businesses seek innovation and universities strive to produce job-ready graduates, the need for collaboration between the two has never been greater. For universities to effectively engage with businesses, careful preparation and strategic initiatives are essential. This article explores key steps that universities can take to prepare for fruitful partnerships with businesses.

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County (Ark.).

At IEDC’s Annual Conference in September, the Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program hosted the Future of Economic Development roundtable discussion session. The session examined four trends impacting EDOs: quiet hiring, staying knowledgeable in a rapidly expanding industry, strategic planning in a post-pandemic world, and integrating technology and data tools.

IEDC's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) program recognizes organizational excellence in the areas of internal and external operations, structures, and procedures. This series profiles recently accredited AEDOs, putting some of economic development's highest-performing organizations in the spotlight. This edition: Elgin (Ill.) Development Group.

IEDC is accepting submissions through May 30 for the 2023 Excellence and Leadership in Economic Development Awards. Norfolk (Va.) Economic Development’s WELDNOW Mobile Welding Lab won a Gold Award in 2022 in the Talent Development and Retention category. The WELDNOW mobile welding lab program is a collaboration between Tidewater Community College, Norfolk Economic Development’s workforce initiative Norfolk Works, and inaugural host site Lyon Shipyard, a 94-year-old ship repair facility adjacent to the region’s largest concentration of households in poverty. This comprehensive training initiative prepares individuals for employment in shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing with an emphasis on work readiness and ...

IEDC is accepting submissions through May 30 for the 2023 Excellence and Leadership in Economic Development Awards. Workforce Solutions Borderplex’s Neighborhood Solutions Tour: Jobs Toolbox on Wheels won a Gold Award in 2022 in the Neighborhood Development category. Workforce Solutions Borderplex (WSB) in El Paso, Texas, expanded its workforce development from static centers into a mobile service, visiting neighborhoods in need of support for upskilling and improving quality of life. The project was created when the unpredictability of pandemic lockdowns forced WSB to take an innovative approach to serving communities in dire need of workforce development. The data-driven tours consider lower-wage quartile ZIP codes, unemployment ...