Technical Assistance

Our technical assistance aids policymakers and workforce development staff to better implement innovation and job-creation strategies by:

• Understanding the economic forces affecting regions and states
• Helping local leaders formulate knowledge-based strategies
• Developing transformational models that support knowledge-driven economic prosperity

Building On the Knowledge Economy

The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) uses information and data to create resources and toolkits so that state and national policymakers can evaluate, shape, and implement effective and state- and region-specific programs that promote economic development efforts.

Many of our technical-assistance efforts are aimed at: federal agencies, regional and state offices, private nonprofits, educational institutions, and sub-state regional coalitions.

While our primary area of policy expertise relates to economic development, workforce development, and education, our network extends beyond these policy areas through the Association of Public Data Users (APDU) into a variety of fields ranging from health care, criminal justice and housing, and demographics to transportation.

Related Projects

Building a Strong State-Federal Partnership to Support Manufacturing
National Institute of Standards & Technology – Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Start Date: Oct 2002 — End Date: Ongoing

CREC worked with several partners, including the State Science & Technology Institute, to develop a strong support structure for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) program as it seeks to help manufacturers become globally competitive.

Gates Foundation Project — 2.0
Gates Foundation
Start Date: Aug 2024 — End Date: Jul 2026

CREC will be working 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 – to improve their regional data systems by providing learning and assessment […]

Reimagining the EDA University Center Program
U.S. Economic Development Administration
Start Date: Jan 2024 — End Date: Dec 2025

With EDA support, CREC, Virginia Tech University, and the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) are studying how the 70-plus EDA-designated University Centers (UCs) organize, operate, and implement their economic development programs.

Credential Engine – Counting U.S. Secondary and Postsecondary Credentials
Credential Engine
Start Date: Oct 2024 — End Date: Dec 2025

CREC is working to generate a national count of unique credentials available for American workers. The count provides the number of credentials by type and by state. CREC is conducting research on certain credential segments to better understand patterns of credentialing in certain key industries. CREC is providing a national report on the status of […]

Advancing Manufacturing Momentum
ManTech
Start Date: Apr 2024 — End Date: Apr 2025

The CREC team will undertake several key activities to help OSD ManTech improve its impact on the education and workforce development efforts to ensure they better serve the needs of advanced manufacturing companies creating and servicing defense technologies for the U.S. warfighter. As part of that effort, CREC will help OSD ManTech assess and evaluate […]
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