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

Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission Economic Resilience Strategy
Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission
Start Date: May 2021 — End Date: Jan 2022

CREC is assisting Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in developing an Economic Resilience Strategy for the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission (K-IRPC) that builds regional capacity to respond to economic shocks. CREC supports the project by providing experience throughout the planning process, development of survey instruments, focus group facilitation, and identification of implementation strategies that align with […]

Southwest Pennsylvania Defense Contracts Analysis
Catalyst Connection
Start Date: Mar 2019 — End Date: Dec 2021

Given the rapid and ongoing changes within the defense industry, CREC is working with leaders in Southwest Pennsylvania to better understand the far-reaching assets, opportunities and impacts of its defense-related supply chains. Specifically, the CREC Team is conducting a defense contracts analysis and defense economy overview of the region’s defense industry. The research focuses on […]

Improving State-level Labor Force Projections
Projections Managing Partnership
Start Date: Oct 2019 — End Date: Oct 2021

CREC and the State of North Carolina Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) are working with the Projections Managing Partnership on an improved methodology that considers state-level labor force projections as a benchmark for labor supply in the PMP’s employment projections products. Currently, the PMP relies on national estimates provided by the U.S. Bureau of […]

Georgetown Workshop Series
Georgetown Massive Data Institute
Start Date: Mar 2021 — End Date: Oct 2021

The Association of Public Data Users received support from the Georgetown Massive Data Institute to deliver a workshop series for state and local government employees. This series of town halls and trainings informed attendees about the quality of the data that state and local leaders rely on and how they can improve and supplement it.

Developing a Community Empowerment Scorecard
Colorado Workforce Development Council
Start Date: Apr 2020 — End Date: Jul 2021

CREC is assisting the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) in promoting economic mobility among the individuals that are receiving employment assistance.  CREC is developing a community empowerment scorecard to help CWDC monitor the various factors that contribute to jobseeker mobility.  The scorecard will focus on examining career pathways and partnerships in the retail sector that […]
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