REGISTRATION CLOSED - CLASS AT CAPACITY
for more information, email Ron Kelly, rkelly@c2er.org

Day 1 Using Data to Drive Workforce and Economic Development Planning

The purpose of this one-day session is to provide analysts with an overview of the regional workforce and economic development planning process, with an emphasis on the role of alternative research approaches to support the planning process.

Key session topics during this training module include:

· Trends in economic and workforce development

· The role of regional leadership in framing the planning process and setting a research agenda

· An overview of alternative methods for analyzing regional economies, including economic base, sectoral/ cluster, innovation, and entrepreneurial

· Key tips for using data-driven inputs to guide an integrated workforce and economic development strategy selection process

· Managing implementation, including the Identification of evaluation measures

Day 2 An Overview of Regional Economic and Workforce Data 

The purpose of this one-day session is to provide analysts with an overview of the various available data sources to conduct analyses that support state and regional economic or workforce strategies. This program provides insights into key workforce data programs followed by an overview of key economic and demographic data resources.

Key session topics during this training module include:

· Workforce Data Sources and Programs

o Review of key workforce information terms and concepts

o Review of industry and occupational data sources and data structure

o Examination of key analytic tools (including O*NET )

· Regional Economic and Demographic Data

o Federal statistical sources for economic and demographic data

o State and regional economic data and their uses

o Key demographic data tools (including American Community Survey)

· Data integration efforts (including overview of ETA Community Economic Hot Reports)

Day 3 Introduction to Basic Analysis Methods for Understanding Your Regional Economy

The purpose of this one-day session is to provide the foundations for understanding how regional economies function and to describe the key principles driving economic growth. The session will provide analysts with basic regional economic theories and the skills required to analyze regional drivers that most greatly influence economic growth and new job development.

Key session topics during this training module include:

· Applied statistics refresher for conducting regional economic and labor market analysis

· Applying economic base theory to regional economies

· Calculating and using location quotients

· Conducting a shift-share analysis

Day 4 Using Cluster Analysis Techniques to Analyze Your Local Economy

The purpose of this one-day session is to provide the basics skills required in conducting an industry cluster study. This approach explores industry cluster analysis as one alternative for understanding a region's competitive economic strengths. Analysts will better understand how regional economic characteristics link to larger regional, national, and global economic trends as well as how industry clustering can be used in selecting economic or workforce development targets in a regional economy.

Key session topics during this training module include:

· Defining industrial interdependence and the role of "clustering"

· Measuring industrial interdependence

· Benchmarking value chains, including tools to identify regional clusters

· Application of cluster analysis techniques to a specific regional economy

Day 5 Analyzing and Presenting Workforce Data for Policymakers

The purpose of this session is to apply key analytic skills to practical, real-world questions that policymakers and practitioners encounter. The session will offer practical tips for experienced analysts on techniques to document your region's labor shed to identify good-paying jobs and the skills they require. The session will also explore techniques for communicating regional economic analysis effectively to policy leaders and practitioners.

Key session topics during this training module include:

· Selecting appropriate data sources, including "real time" and proprietary data

· Examining key labor market characteristics that policymakers value

· Communication tips - for the web, policy briefs, and oral presentations

· Practical exercises in presenting to policymakers and practitioners

Instructors:

Kenneth Poole, Ph.D. - Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness

Mark White, Ph.D. - Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness

Ed Feser, Ph.D. - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Terry Clower, Ph.D. - University of North Texas

Drew Conrad, CEcD - University of Northern Iowa

Dennis Reid - Bureau of Labor Statistics