CREC Project News and Updates

CREC Helps M-SAMC Expand Training to Community Colleges

January 5, 2016

The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC), in partnership with the Multi-State Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (M-SAMC), has produced a number of training videos that show community college administrators how to best use federal statistical agency programs to understand their local communities and build programs that better serve their students’ needs.

Specifically, the videos use tools that are powered by data that is collected and organized by the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. By honing in on the publicly available information that powers the products and services that these federal agencies provide, community college administrators can discover information that is applicable to current and future students and develop curricula based on:

  • The levels of educational attainment found around a particular community college
  • The demographics of workers living within a particular radius of any community college
  • The levels of pay that people earn from very microscopic geographic levels
  • The number of educational programs that students complete in a specific geography
  • The exact level that specific industries contribute to individual economies
  • The affect that local unemployment has on specific local economies

With 13 college partners across 10 states, more than 40 industrial partners, and state-of-the-art technology, M-SAMC leverages its combined experiences to increase student success locally, and it brings manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. The CREC-produced videos, available through M-SAMC’s YouTube channel, can be used to improve community colleges’ decision making about manufacturing educational program development, investment, and strategic marketing to various industries.

The video-production project is part of a larger effort to help schools in the consortium find innovative and effective methods to develop curriculum that addresses specific industry needs in local communities.

A list of the videos is provided below:

How much does the manufacturing sector contribute to my regional economy?
 How many people are completing programs in neighboring colleges?
 What are the common occupations in a given industry?
How to convert job titles to occupation codes
 What levels of educational attainment are found in your area?
 What is the unemployment rate for your region?
How many manufacturers are located in your metro area?
 How big is my region’s manufacturing sector compared to other counties in my state?
 What proportion of my industry’s workforce is age 55 or older?
What are the demographics of workers living within a 30 mile radius of my college?
 How much should a worker in a given occupation be making in my region?
 How has my region’s population grown?

About the Client

Governor’s Office of Entrepreneurship, State of Nevada

The Workforce Development office’s focus is on crafting a comprehensive human resources strategy tailored to the unique needs of Nevada. Workforce Development in the state has transitioned from addressing specific challenges, such as shortages in skilled labor or industry-specific staffing requirements, to adopting a more holistic perspective. This approach considers the diverse barriers faced by […]

GO Virginia

Region 7 consists of the cities Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park; and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William. Total Population: 2,545,650 Total Employment:1,301,155 Unemployment Rate: 2.3% Median Income Level $132,128

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)

The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) is a 501c4 membership association that represents the interests of regional community and economic development practitioners. Established in 1967, NADO advocates for federal policies and programs that promote equitable community development, economic competitiveness, rural development, economic mobility, and quality of place. NADO represents a national network of more […]

ManTech

The vision of the program is a responsive world-class manufacturing capability to affordably and rapidly meet Warfighter needs throughout the defense system life cycle. Although DoD ManTech has a singular mission and shared strategic vision, all of the projects and initiatives are selected and executed through the Military Services and DoD Agencies. Each Component has […]

Rutgers Research

The Office for Research provides a pipeline of services across Rutgers to drive and support faculty research and strategically leads the university’s economic development activities. Our cutting-edge research, sponsored by federal and state agencies, and increasingly by corporations and foundations, contributes to the medical, environmental, social and cultural well-being of the state. By transforming Rutgers […]

New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

At the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, we are constantly working to improve the taxpayer experience. We want the taxpayer experience to be as simple, logical, and equitable as possible. To advance this goal, all of our operational units are engaged in ongoing evaluation of how we interact with the public and, […]

North Carolina Biotechnology Center

Life sciences are transforming the world. Vaccines prevent disease. Gene therapies and precision health data cure them. Advances in agriculture feed the planet. Here in North Carolina, NCBiotech catalyzes the many different transformations that are improving the quality of life around the world. We connect companies with university researchers and introduce entrepreneurs to potential funders. […]

George Washington Institute of Public Policy

The George Washington Institute of Public Policy (GWIPP) serves as a university-wide nexus for faculty and graduate students engaging in research on important public policy issues. We also play a unique dual role among policy research institutes in the United States. Our team of research faculty engage in funded research on a variety of domestic […]

Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR)

Business incubators and other innovative programs to grow your business New York State offers resources designed to enable new and existing businesses to become more competitive through the use of innovative technologies. Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) programs and centers emphasize the importance of working with industry as a way […]

Los Rios (CA) Community College District

The Los Rios Community College District is one of the nation’s most respected learning institutions and the second-largest community college district in California, serving the greater Sacramento region. We have four colleges, six education centers, and specialized workforce and economic development programs for local businesses, governments, and organizations.