Building Regional Prosperity, #2 and #3

The Regional Prosperity Project brings together economic development initiatives from 8 regions to share notes, compare strategies and find ways to overcome barriers to broadly shared regional economic prosperity.  Supported by the Surdna Foundation, the Project is in its 2^nd year.

 

I was invited to talk with the group when they held their Cleveland meeting this August.

 

One of WIRE-Net’s main “prosperity” strategies has been our role as a champion for reinvestment in urban industrial infrastructure – specifically roadway projects.  WIRE-Net has been an advocate and partner in $47 million in successful projects over the last 6 years, projects which have positively affected hundreds of manufacturing and other companies, and tens of thousands of jobs. 

 

WIRE-Net’s third major impact on manufacturing jobs has been through its continuum of work in youth and adult job training.  WIRE-Net’s adult programs have evolved over 25 years – starting with the Hire Locally Program, the Machine Trades Sectoral Initiative (MTSI), and now continues as WorkAdvance-NE Ohio in partnership with Towards Employment. All of these projects show that an employer led, grassroots approach can attract trainable entry level workers from urban neighborhoods into targeted manufacturing occupations like precision machining and welding, get them to work, and boost earnings in significant ways.  The MTSI experience also shows that by working in coalition with other industry groups (like the PMA, PMPA, and OAMF), training providers can be persuaded to strengthen their programs, making them more relevant and valuable to industry.

 

WIRE-Net is also addressing the severe shortages in young talent that are projected to affect the skilled, technical manufacturing occupations (machining, welding, robotics, mechatronics) by working with middle and high school youth.  WIRE-Net is the partner behind the New Max Hayes High School program, which is redesigning career-tech education so that it addresses the challenges of educating urban youth, connecting them to relevant, authentic learning and work, and gets them on a path to well paying, family-supporting wages.