CREC Updates

Arizona is primed to boost its leadership in this sector given their existing footprint in semiconductor research, design, and production stretching across the state. To build on Arizona’s existing strategic advantage, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) hired CREC and SRI to understand how innovative facilities and training opportunities statewide can advance Arizona’s leading position in the semiconductor industry.

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 […]

Under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program, CREC is helping to leverage Education and Workforce Development (EWD) resources to leverage a stronger defense manufacturing workforce development ecosystem. Through this effort, CREC is tasked with developing a clearer sense of how the Manufacturing USA institutes approach EWD, including their […]

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 August 2024, CREC received a two-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to increase the capabilities of data users and data providers to inform education and training investments that strengthen regional economies. CREC will work to create a pipeline of organizations – including economic development organizations, community colleges, and workforce boards – […]

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 Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) is requesting proposals from interested parties to serve as a facilitator for team discussions in a Policy Academy over a period of ten months – April 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024.

Small Manufacturing Enterprises (SMEs) fuel the U.S. economy. They compete through innovation, energy, and agility in response to rapidly changing global supply chain requirements and they take risks by introducing new processes and products. The vital role of SMEs, however, depends on a strong manufacturing workforce, and the challenges that SMEs face are particularly acute […]

Incentives Roundtable: Remote Workers Impact on Compliance Tuesday, March 16, 2021 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET Remote work became a more important part of the economic landscape in 2020. In response, many state economic development organizations are considering the impact of remote work on existing incentive performance agreements as companies endeavor to remain compliant […]

This workshop provides state agency staff with the skills and insights to implement best practices in incentives monitoring and management. The workshop reviews common operating procedures, identifies critical issues, and explores options and tradeoffs to help staff make intentional choices to protect taxpayer investments in business incentives. Agency staff will be able to review and redesign operating procedures, confident their approach will be effective, but not overly burdensome, in leveraging reliable data for monitoring business compliance and program performance.