CREC Updates

In the Spring of 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) funded the Labor Market Information (LMI) Institute and Projections Managing Partnership (PMP) to develop a project aimed at enhancing the ability of LMI data users to access, collect, analyze, and communicate high-quality labor market information to their stakeholders. As a […]

CREC recently completed a three-year work program under a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to develop and support best practices in how states and regions can work more collaborative to align and integrate their economic efforts. CREC worked closely with the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation, the State International […]

In July 2024, CREC wrapped up partnering with SRI to identify and map semiconductor education and training assets for the Workforce Subgroup of the Semiconductor Task Force at the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). ACA is using the information to engage companies in the semiconductor supply chain to motivate continued foreign direct investment (FDI) based on […]

The report that CREC completed for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) will be featured at the “Entrepreneurship for All” event at the Center for American Progress on October 13, 2016. You can find out more information and register for the event here.

  Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) CEO Kenneth Poole was recognized Monday for his work to promote efforts around the U.S. Census Bureau’s Local Employment Dynamics (LED) program. In doing so, Census noted that his efforts raise the bar on practices that help America’s jobs, workers, and local economies. Poole, who founded CREC in 2000, stated […]

Topic Overview Workforce development—or Talent Development—encompasses initiatives that educate and train individuals to meet the needs of current and future business and industry in order to maintain a sustainable competitive economic environment.  In a recent survey of corporate executives, two of the top three most important site selection factors relate to workforce development (Citation: “The Role of Workforce […]

Topic Overview Promoting entrepreneurship is an increasingly visible part of the national innovation strategy for achieving sustainable growth and quality jobs. Not only do startups bring a wealth of transformative innovations to market, they also play a critical role in job creation across the United States, especially among traditionally disadvantaged populations. Entrepreneurs that grow their […]

Topic Overview Regional innovation clusters represent concentrations of companies that develop innovative products and services, along with specialized suppliers, service providers, universities, and other associated institutions. The idea that this concentration of activity is important as a foundation for economic growth has been well known for decades by academics and was one of the founding […]

Topic Overview Technology acceleration is defined as integrating technology into the products, processes, services and business models of existing companies to solve existing problems in the commercial marketplace or to help the private sector pursue opportunities that will result in growth. Technology acceleration is an ideal for economic development that incorporates the entire innovation continuum, […]

Small Business Finance Topic Overview Access to capital is a lifeblood for small businesses – it helps businesses expand, hire new workers, build a new factory, or buy a piece of new equipment. Small business financing is a structural problem. While small businesses employ nearly half of Americans, they have difficulty accessing private capital markets. […]