Category: Workforce Development & Human Capital
System Leadership and Community Development
An article titled “The Dawn of System Leadership” was recently published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Peter Senge, Hal Hamilton, and John Kania and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in community development. While the notion of system leadership is not new—it is getting at si … Read more
Where to Find Data for Smart Managerial and Financial Decisions
Ever need to know how many single-family wood-framed houses were sold in the Midwest last year? Or the latitude and longitude of every farmers market in Wisconsin that sells herbs, flowers, and soap? What about the number of planes that sat on the tarmac more than three hours this past June? Or the … Read more
Student Corner: Workforce Development Dollars — Has your community cashed in?
In North Carolina, workforce training programs are primarily delivered through the 23 local, workforce development boards or through the state’s 59 community colleges. Most economic developers will be aware of these resources but may not know some of the programs these providers offer or the creativ … Read more
Guidance for Small Towns on Community Development Outreach Using Information Technology
While larger towns, counties and state governments are promoting their online services, and investing in social media such as Facebook and Twitter, how can smaller towns make sure they are not left behind? Community development entails on the ground, high-touch work. But potential employers and resi … Read more
Student Corner: Designing a Survey of the Built Environment
A previous post discussed the benefits of conducting community housing assessments for local governments and non-profit organizations interested in community and economic development. This post will discuss the methods and strategies that interested stakeholders, from local governments to neighborho … Read more
Why’d She Do That? Explaining Workplace Behavior and Why It Matters to Organizations
Community and economic development professionals, in working to accomplish their goals, must often lead and manage organizations. In recognition of that fact, this post is offered as part of series on leadership and management, written by faculty and staff who focus on those topics at the UNC School … Read more
The Role of U.S. Counties in Economic Development
In a recently released report, the National Association of Counties (NACo) examines the special role that county governments play in the process of economic development. The report’s findings are based on a national survey of U.S. counties and case studies of local economic development in 34 selecte … Read more
Rebooting Federal Workforce Development Policy
The U.S. Congress passed and President Obama recently signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bicameral legislation passed with near unanimous support and reauthorizes the Workforce Investment Act, which was originally enacted in 1998. WIOA streamlines federal job tr … Read more
Promoting Communities and Downtowns with Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
Whether your community is a large urban district or a small town, promoting it through traditional media outlets has become more challenging due to unprecedented changes within the communications industry. American newsrooms are in a season of disruption: More than 70 daily newspapers have closed th … Read more
Can you manage the organizational culture of your local Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board?
An organizational culture will be established or will occur… be proactive. Elected leaders in Oceanboro promised voters that they would transform the way economic development services are delivered in the city—incentive policies, support for entrepreneurs, and new industrial sites—but they haven’ … Read more