Challenge The idling of Alcoa’s aluminum production facility in Rockdale, Texas—announced at the height of the Great Recession—would ultimately put more than 1,200 employees out of work and shutter nearly two dozen local businesses that were reliant on the plant or its employees. The crisis brought together representatives from the […]
Challenge The Wired65 region, comprised of 26 counties surrounding the Louisville metropolitan area, presents a unique combination of assets and challenges. Home to Worldport, UPS’s international shipping hub, the area boasts a strong logistics and distribution cluster, as well as a significant automotive presence. In addition, the consolidation of the
Challenge The Milwaukee region has a strong base of technology talent with almost 76,000 tech workers that support 140 industries and generate more than $27 billion for the regional economy. However, the region’s technology talent cluster has not grown as rapidly as peer regions’ and has struggled to be competitive
Challenge Recognizing that talent is a key driver of regional competitiveness, the Tampa Bay Partnership assessed talent indicators for the region and measured these against 19 peer communities. This exercise revealed that the Tampa Bay talent pool lagged its peers, particularly in metrics related to the regional talent pipeline. In
Challenge The US military and defense sector represents a key driver in Alaska, accounting for tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in federal spending. Yet, despite its outsized role, there were significant gaps in understanding among public sector decision makers at all levels of the impact of
Challenge Faced with more than three decades of stagnant population trends and lagging income and educational attainment, Muskogee, Oklahoma, was at a crossroads. Despite the area’s many assets, which included a strong base of private and public sector employers, desirable market access, and a committed group of leaders, Muskogee failed
Challenge Located at the center of the Seattle metropolitan area, Kirkland benefited from the region’s large population base and its national reputation. Its coveted location allowed Kirkland to integrate a variety of employment opportunities with a livable and vibrant community. Despite these advantages, Kirkland was not immune to threats. The
Challenge The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic upheaval exacerbated existing inequities in Fort Collins’ economy that persisted through the early stages of recovery. In advance of receiving funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), local leaders realized they needed a way to evaluate potential projects and initiatives to ensure
Challenge The nine-county region served by Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas lies in a largely rural corner of the state that enjoys many substantial economic development advantages. These include proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth, access to Interstate 30, and pro-business climate with a diverse and strong foundation of major industrial employers. However,
Challenge Long-standing efforts to create a more equitable workforce development system in Detroit and Southeast Michigan shifted drastically as national discussions about social justice and racial equity issues intensified in the Trump era. The shift brought increased leadership, capacity, and support from the public and private sectors for transforming the
