Build stronger workforce connections before students make their next big decision.

Young people make choices about their futures long before they enter an employer’s recruitment pipeline. Give them a clearer view of the opportunities in their own community. In this applied learning lab, Nate Clayberg explores Profession-Based Learning as an upstream economic development strategy. Connect schools and employers through real projects and meaningful experiences, and begin designing a repeatable approach that supports business retention, expansion, and long-term talent development.

Inside the learning lab

Assess your community’s talent pipeline, map partners and local champions, and redesign a familiar employer engagement activity into a Profession-Based Learning experience. Use guided work and peer discussion to build a 30/60/90-day implementation roadmap.

What you will gain

• Identify gaps in student awareness, employer engagement, and education-industry alignment.
• Map the schools, businesses, and champions needed to move a talent strategy forward.
• Design a student experience connected to real work and local career pathways.
• Define early actions, ownership, and measures of progress for a community workforce initiative.

What you will take back

An upstream workforce strategy framework, community talent pipeline diagnostic, stakeholder engagement map, initial learning experience concept, and 30/60/90-day implementation roadmap.

Who should join:

Economic developers, workforce professionals, employer engagement teams, and education or community partners building talent pipelines.

Bring a local workforce challenge and start designing an earlier connection to opportunity.

Registration (Opens December 2026)

Professional Development Credits

Attendance and participation during all sessions of the training course is required by a registrant to obtain the following credits. 

• Certified Economic Developer (CEcD)
  • Exam = Core Requirement
  • Recertification = (3) Level-1 Points
    
    
• Entrepreneurship Development Professional (EDP)
  • Exam = Elective Requirement
  • Recertification = (3) Level-1 Points

Note: IEDC will send a registrant an electronic certificate of completion after the course for their records.

Questions

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call (202) 223-7800.

Policies

Please read the following policies carefully prior to registering for the training course.

Materials

The materials provided by IEDC are intended for use only by the registrant of the training course. A registrant should not share the training course materials with anyone else.

A registrant found in violation of this policy will be removed from the training course immediately and will not receive a refund for it.

Payment

A registrant will not receive the materials for the training course until IEDC receives the full amount owed for their registration.

Substitution

A registrant is not allowed to substitute a colleague in their place for any IEDC training course.

Cancellation

Please review our cancellation policy here.

No Show

A registrant is considered a “No Show” if they fail to send a cancellation email and/or do not attend the training course. A “No Show” registrant will forfeit any monies paid to IEDC for the training course.