Professor Jerry Gray Selected
for Endowed Chair of Economics
Willamette University Professor Jerry
Gray was awarded the Peter C. and
Bonnie S. Kremer Chair of Economics,
a privately endowed professorship
awarded to a scholar who is an
experienced and dedicated teacher.
“With this position, I feel a sense of
excitement - and responsibility - to
ensure that Willamette’s students
are able to think critically about
economics,” said Gray. “Understanding
economics is an essential part of a robust liberal arts education.”
Named Oregon’s 2005 Professor of
the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for
the Advancement of Teaching and the
Council for Advancement and Support
of Education, students and faculty
alike praise Gray for his enthusiasm,
dedication and humor. He is well known
on the Willamette campus for the
countless hours he spends outside the
classroom helping students learn about
economics.
“There is no substitution for time or
patience,” said Gray. “I try to illustrate
concepts with experiences from my own
life or by using everyday examples.”
“Jerry is simply remarkable in his
ability to translate the most complex
and abstract concepts into terms anyone
can understand,” said David Douglass,
Interim Dean of the College of Liberal
Arts. “The Kremer Chair is fitting
recognition of his talents as a teacher.”
“We are honored by the Kremers’
generosity and deeply grateful for their
recognition of the importance of excellent
teaching,” said Interim President Larry
D. Large. “The many benefits of this
endowed chair will be realized now and
for many generations of students to
come.”
About the Peter C. and Bonnie S.
Kremer Chair of Economics
The $1.5 million endowment was
established by a Willamette alumni
couple, Peter and Bonnie Kremer.
Peter Kremer majored in economics
at Willamette and earned his master’s
degree in business administration from
Stanford. Bonnie Kremer graduated from
Willamette with an English degree. She
reflected, “Our experience at Willamette
has given us both a good foundation, and
that’s something we want to support.”
Photo of Jerry Gray by Frank Miller,
courtesy of Willamette University
Join Mayor Taylor for Her
Final State of the City Address
Amid the rubble of the disaster in Haiti
is a lesson for all of us. What is important
in life is our family and friends. It is so
easy to forget when we are caught up in
our daily lives.
For years I have read how our area is
vulnerable to the “big one”, and know
that preparation is crucial for long-term
survival, and yet we put it off, never quite
believing it will happen to us. Even our
current recession seems unreal at times
when we already survived one just a fewshort years ago.
How do we prepare ourselves for
recessions, earthquakes, floods, and all the
other disasters? Food, water, blankets,
saving accounts – all are necessary, but we
also need something less tangible. What
we need is to understand that the actions
of today will have an affect on tomorrow’s
survival.
The angry tone, the failure to listen to each
other, the growing sense of entitlement, plus
political partisanship divide our country and
make us less able to handle what challenges
tomorrow brings. I believe in good debate,
and I encourage people to speak up about
their concerns. But, it needs to be done
in a manner that allows civil discourse for
future issues. When we create barriers from
today’s actions, we lose the ability to have
the cohesiveness tomorrow to deal with
challenges.
The challenge for the City this year and
for the foreseeable future will, once again,
involve our budget as a result of the estimated
18% increase in our employer contribution
to the PERS retirement program. Due to
the decline in the stock market the return
on investment is not sufficient to meet
the liabilities. We need to find a solution
that provides stability for city programs or
make decisions to reduce the size of local
government.
We can also grow the business side of
our community. The more elected officials
who understand that business creates the
jobs that pay the income taxes for State
services, and the property taxes for Local
services, the better we will be able to survive
downturns. Be assured, no community can
thrive on just residential property taxes, we
need commercial and industrial taxes for an
adequate local tax base. Our role as voters
is to be certain we elect people to serve
who understand this basic of economics.
The alternative is much higher taxes or
drastically reduced services.
The City of Salem has been very probusiness
– witness our investment in the
Mill Creek Corporate Center where Home
Depot is building a 465,000 square foot
distribution center, and the SANYO Solar
plant at the Salem Renewable Energy
Center. Diversity of employment builds good
communities that can in turn help those who
need a hand up in life, support our schools,
police and fire, parks and libraries. We
remain committed to retaining the jobs we
have, and recruiting new companies. It can
require tough decisions and compromises,
but the long-term benefits provide survival
and success.
Join us on February 10th at noon at the
Conference Center when I give my last State
of the City speech. We need to have a good
conversation about our community and its
future, and what we can do to prepare for
whatever disaster comes our way.
Meet the New CCBI
Chemeketa Center
For Business And
Industry Opens
Innovation, Creativity, Excellence - All
of this, plus more will take place as the
organizations located in the new Chemeketa
Center for Business & Industry (CCBI)
building work to accomplish their common
missions. This new building just north of
downtown Salem, is poised to offer great
resources for the business community. Not
only is it in a great, convenient location, it has
provided the opportunity for many resource
partners to continue to build an effective
workforce and economic development
system to create skilled workers, high wage
jobs and economic opportunity for our
communities.
The new 50,000 sq. ft., four-story CCBI
building is equipped with a cutting edge
auditorium and training classrooms,
computer lab, a bistro and a catering
service that functions as a teaching and
demonstration kitchen, and the resources
to help promote jobs and economic growth.
This framework provides the opportunity
for an even more effective partnerships
between the public and private sectors, local
workers and colleges.
The CCBI building allows for expanded
learning venues. For example, Chemeketa
has partnered with PGE to hold a variety
of workshops that enhance business
practices and provide expert advice on
energy efficiency here in Salem. Now in
addition to their Portland and Wilsonville
locations, a full schedule of PGE programs
are being offered at CCBI. Other seminars
are also being scheduled such as the 2010
Export Strategies, Tools and Technique
Seminar scheduled for January 27th; and
a complimentary seminar focused on
Financial, Employment, and Accounting
Compliance for 2010 provided by Northwest
Farm Credit Services, Saalfeld Griggs PC,
and Moss Adams, LLP for January 21st.
These events and others are posted on the
SEDCOR website at www.sedcor.com.
Today’s workforce development along
with economic growth for a community
requires employer engagement, community
connections and industry-driven education
and training through a network of resources.
Successful workforce development requires
collaboration. By bringing together industry
specific groups with common missions,
issues can be identified and innovative
solutions can be developed.
The organizations located in this new
learning facility will have the opportunity
to expand their partnerships and work
more closely together to fulfill our common
mission and goals. Workforce and economic
development are cornerstones of the efforts
being put forward. The organizations in the
new CCBI building are taking important
steps to connect the right resources to the
individuals and businesses needing them, in
order to strengthen the economy.
The quality of our community’s workforce
is a factor in gauging our economic
competitiveness. Positions available in the
current job market require skills beyond high
school level and changes in industry require
ongoing training for workers. Being able to
provide access to education and training
opportunities is an important measure of our
areas’s economic development potential.
Serving Businesses a Wide-Range of
Learning Opportunities
With some of the major players in local
economic and workforce development
housed within its four walls, there will be
unprecedented opportunities for synergy at
the new building. It will be fully occupied by
the end of January.
Diane McLaran, Director of the CCBI says
“Continuing education, job advancement
and strengthening business are top
priorities for the organization. The new
facility will allow for expanded programs
and stronger partnerships.”
In addition to college programs serving
local businesses, CCBI will house the
offices of SEDCOR (Strategic Economic
Development Corporation), a public-private
partnership that helps recruit companies
and retain existing jobs. Another tenant
is the Enterprise for Employment and
Education which addresses workforce needs
for our region. Portland State University will
occupy the entire fourth floor and provide
continuing education to state employees.
Chemeketa’s programs like Customized
Training services and its MERIT program
which assists microenterprises will be in
the thick of the action. Chemeketa’s Small
Business Development Center (SBDC) will
operate their programs from the facility,
including its new EDGE Business Incubator
Program sponsored by Bank of the Cascades.
The bank’s contribution will help off-set
costs, so students can focus on their ideas
and business plans. The SBDC is accepting
applications to fill spaces in the program.
The ten selected businesses will benefit
from entrepreneurship courses, business
coaching, and access to office resources.
“In this economic environment, it is more
important than ever for Bank of the Cascades
to team with Chemeketa and support the
development of homegrown entrepreneurs
who represent the future of our business
community,” said Larry Goodreau, Senior
Vice President and Area Manager for Bank
of the Cascades.
CCBI Customized Training
Meeting Business and Industry
Needs; SANYO Solar of Oregon LLC
Another Success Story
Companies that invest in workforce
development, realize how important
training is and that it is a necessity to be
competitive in the global marketplace.
CCBI’s Customized Training (CT) group
offers extensive professional and workforce
development training and consulting
services specific to employer needs. In
partnership with industry, workshops are
defined by business and industry processes,
content and organizational culture.
Strategic planning, training and employee
development services are types of assistance
that CT provides. CT utilizes a combination
of seasoned training consultants, college
instructors and professionals to design and
teach their classes.
In the last eight years, the CCBI’s
Customized Training has provided training
and consulting services to 367 clients, with
over 57,378 students participating in over
3,418 classes. 80% of CT’s business is repeat
customers, with marketing done through
word of mouth and referrals. The State
of Oregon is a big client, with statewide
training programs in DEQ safety, ODOT’s
flagger program and others. CT provides for
a quick turnaround of training curriculum
for clients with a tight schedule.
Unique characteristics of the CCBI
Customized Training are:
A strong customer service orientation
with customized workshops designed
to meet the needs of business
90% of classes are held at work sites,
with many using proprietary processes
Onsite training is much easier for
workers to attend Compressed and just-in-time delivery
workshop formats.
Responsiveness to industry requirements and needs
State-of-the art classroom, computer
labs, and portable computer lab
A diverse cadre of trainers and
consultants.
CT also provides new employee workshops
for businesses that are expanding or relocating
to the area. T-Mobile, Weyerhauser,
Wachovia Corporation, and SANYO Solar of
Oregon LLC have all had specialized training
designed for their workforces. SANYO, the
CT team and Chemeketa faculty developed
a curriculum and trained employees for the
solar manufacturing plant which opened
in November. “SANYO’s pre-employment
training is a prime example of Chemeketa’s
customization capabilities,” states Susan
Patterson, CCBI customized training
manager. “The training program was fairly
seamless for SANYO, who only had to hire
employees and assist us with the curriculum.
Chemeketa took care of the rest.”
According to Patterson, SANYO’s training
program has four curriculum components
for the operators, which were first
recommended by SANYO and then written
into the training curriculum. Chemeketa
faculty worked closely with SANYO
managers, technicians, and engineers to
ensure the curriculum represented their
manufacturing processes. The College also
enlisted the help of Toyko International
University of America to provide a Japanese
cultural competency session. Other
components include the Basics of Solar
Manufacturing, Silicon Growing and Slicing,
and Manufacturing Computer Literacy.
A quality audit on the Chemeketa Solar
Manufacturing Training Program was done
by SANYO Solar Japan, with excellent
results. Positive feedback was received on
the scope and quality of the program. They
were impressed with the program and said
they had never seen such a well designed and
thorough program for training incoming
employees either here or in Japan. The
entire management team at SANYO Solar
of Oregon sent their sincere thanks for
the excellent hard work on the Training
Program. Congratulations!
Call 503-399-5181 for additional
information.
Small Business Development Center
Chemeketa’s Small Business Development
Center (SBDC) has provided business
training and advising to thousands of
business owners in Marion, Polk and
Yamhill counties for the last 26 years. The
center is one of nineteen SBDCs throughout
Oregon that provide assistance to new
and established small businesses. Their
services are available to anyone who owns
or operates — or is considering starting — a
small business.
Marcia Bagnall, was named Director success of business enterprises in Marion,
Polk and Yamhill Counties.
The program provides 10 participants
with:
An office on the third floor of the CCBI
building
Enrollment in business and
entrepreneurship courses and other
training opportunities
Ongoing advising and their personal
board of advisors
Access to high-speed internet, fax,
copier and printers
The support and encouragement of
the SBDC staff and fellow incubator
tenants
The program is currently accepting
applications. Entrepreneurs will be offered
an educational experience for up to three
years with office space along with other
small business owners. If you are interested
or know someone who might be please
contact the Small Business development
Center.
Applications are available online at sbdc@
chemeketa.edu or by calling the SBDC at
503-399-5088.
Chemeketa Event Services
Event Planning, Facility Rental and
Catering
The new CCBI building offers a multitude
of options for training, seminars and
company meetings. Room capacities range
from 15 in smaller classroom, 80 in the
auditorium/lecture hall to over 150 in the
large training area. Pricing is available for
half day or full day with a different rate for
profit and non-profit organizations.
The facility rental and catering will be
handled by Chemeketa Event Services
Catering – a department of North West
Innovations (NWI). Chemeketa Event
Services serves as the hospitality arm of
Chemeketa Community College. The event
department offers information on facility
rental locations, catering and restaurant
options, with internship opportunities for
college students to enhance the classroom
learning by gaining real world experience in
the hospitality industry.
The culinary team is comprised of
creative and talented individuals, which
have successfully executed events of all
sizes for hundreds of different groups and
organizations. A wealth of experience and
the creative thinking of talented event staff
provides conference, meeting and event
planning services to support the needs of
the business community from all over the
Mid-Willamette Valley.
At CCBI, a Bistro will be open to the
public and will feature a full espresso
drink menu along with morning pastries.
Grab and go gourmet deli options will be
available for lunch. The completion of a
teaching and demonstration kitchen on the
first floor of the building will offer endless
possibilities for education, community
involvement and special events.
This new building is an ideal location for
the business community from all over the
region to hold meetings, corporate events,
training seminars, private dinners and
social events. The CCBI building’s advanced
technology and architectural enhancements
is a welcome addition to the existing wide
variety of facilities and offers the perfect
settings to hold events.
For more information, call 503-584-7272
or email eolaevents@chemeketa.edu.
Enterprise for Employment and
Education
The Enterprise for Employment and
Education (Enterprise) is a public-private
partnership dedicated to strategic workforce
solutions. They work with businesses,
education and training organizations,
county and state governments, foundations
and non-profits to identify and address
the current and future workforce needs of
Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties.
The Enterprise serves as the Local
Workforce Investment Board for the three
counties, whose vision is to have the skilled
workforce necessary for businesses to locate,
stay and thrive in the Mid-Willamette
Valley. Its mission is to identify current and
future workforce needs and solutions that
promote business recruitment, retention
and growth. It conducts work toward this
mission with the support of Mid-Willamette
Jobs Council.
The Enterprise is guided by a resultsdriven,
highly motivated Board of
Directors which brings expertise in the areas
of training, human resources, employment,
management and public policy. The
directors are actively engaged in identifying
workforce needs, creating new partnerships,
finding additional resources, and advocating
for workforce development.
Most of its resources come from the
federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
funding via the Department of Labor. The
Enterprise provides WIA core and intensive
services for adults, dislocated workers and
youth in the WorkSource Oregon system.
The Enterprise strives to build community
awareness and support that will encourage
potential employees to pursue careers. As a
trustee for workforce development, we act
as:
A scanner to identify workforce
challenges and opportunities,
A convener of effective partnerships to
create solutions,
A manager of resources to fund
solutions, and an evaluator to ensure
short term return on investment
and identify long term trends and
opportunities.
The Enterprise has invested over
$50,000,000 into workforce development
•
•
of SBDC in November. Having worked
at the SBDC and the CCBI for the last
decade, Bagnall’s experience with the
Center’s Entrepreneurship, Small Business
Management and MERIT microenterprise
program made her the ideal person to lead
the SBDC into the new decade.
Starting a small business is a challenge,
but the SBDC provides tools to proceed with
a business idea. Launching a new business
requires careful planning and involves
making many important decisions. The
SBDC offers free or low cost services to
potential and existing businesses.
Through training, advising and business
coaching the SBDC offers resources for
starting, growing, financing, expanding or
relocating a business. They offer a business
resource library, computer lab, office space
for meeting clients, and many different
training programs.
The MERIT MicroEnterprise program uses
a nationally recognized training curriculum
to help entrepreneurs develop their business
ideas, learn the basics of running a business,
and write a business plan. MERIT supports
the “underserved” and anyone else who has
difficulty getting small business training or
credit through traditional means.
Opportunity Knocks offers business
owners a connection for help on critical
issues with scheduled monthly meetings
with other business owners to discuss
issues, obstacles and other matters faced
by business owners every day. Concerns
and lessons are shared in a confidential and
supportive setting. Opportunity Knocks is a
peer advisory program for business owners
which are supported by trained facilitators.
The nine-month Small Business
Management program is ideal for established
small business owners. It includes
interactive classroom learning; one-on-one
business advising; business tools; access
to experts; the chance to exchange ideas
and experiences with other small business
owners; and accountability.
The new EDGE Business Incubator
program, sponsored by Bank of the Cascades
is directed at new business owners. (See
next page for more information).
For more information on the SBDC, call
503-399-5088 or visit sbdc.chemeketa.edu
for a complete list of programs and classes.
Chemeketa Center
For Business And
Industry Opens
EDGE Business Incubator
Education • Development
Growth • Empowerment – Sponsored
by the Bank of the Cascades
The Entrepreneur’s EDGE Business
Incubator is a results-driven provider of
education, services and resources delivered
in a supportive environment to encourage
the launch, growth, stability and long-term
activities over the last decade, including:
Funding WorkSource Oregon Centers
and a Youth Opportunity System;
Providing matching grants for
businesses to “skill up” their current
workforce and implement high
performance workplace strategies;
Facilitating industry consortia to more
effectively leverage training investments
for larger numbers of companies and
employees.
The Enterprise makes an annual
investment to the Youth Opportunity
System, an integrated network of services
available to help youth complete secondary
education, obtain occupation skills or postsecondary
education, enter employment,
and advance along career pathways that
lead to success.
This system is overseen by the Enterprise
Youth Council, with input from key
stakeholders, including businesses, youth,
families of eligible youth, educators, and
service providers which include Arbor
Education & Training, Polk HALO (City Of
Independence), Salem Keizer Public Schools
and Willamette ESD.
The Enterprise provides staffing and
coordination to a number of business
consortia in order to better leverage resources,
reduce training costs, and create coordinated
solutions to workforce issues. These efforts
are focused on programs and protocols
that benefit multiple companies within an
industry niche. The Mid-Willamette High
Performance Consortium, Food Processors
Consortium, Metals Consortium and the
Secondary Woods Consortium provide a
forum for collaboration and learning among
members; provide resources to companies
for training and growth; help members
set continuous improvement benchmarks;
provide guidance; and increase the number
of companies in the region actively using
high performance strategies. Through these
groups, industry is taking responsibility
for themselves and collaboration between
companies to further their goals.
Call 503-581-1002 or visit www.workforcesolutions.
net.
Portland State University, Child
Welfare Partnership Training Center
Based at the Portland State University’s
Graduate School of Social Work, the Center
for Improvement of Child and Family
Services integrates research, education and
training to advance the delivery of services
to children and families. We work with
agency and community partners to promote
a child welfare system that protects children,
respects families, and builds community
capacity to address emerging needs.
The Child Welfare Partnership is a program
of the Center and is a partnership that joins
the Oregon Department of Human Services
Public Child Welfare Program and Portland
State University.
Based at the Portland State University
School of Social Work, our long history
of involvement with public child welfare
provides an advantage in terms of knowledge
of agency-based research, familiarity with
practice trends, and a network of local and
national relationships for research and
training.
The Training Unit has had a presence in
Salem since the founding of the Partnership
in 1994 and provides basic and advanced
training for Child Welfare Caseworkers,
Supervisor, and Caseworker Assistants
in addition to Foster, Adopt and Relative
Caregivers certified to care for children in
state custody.
During its first 15 years, the Partnership has
brought together the expertise of Oregon’s
major urban university with the strengths
of the public child welfare system to forge
program and practice improvements to help
better serve children and families.
The partnership has become a leader
in establishing and promoting excellence
in child welfare practice through a
combination of research, training, and
graduate education. By contract with the
Oregon Department of Human Services’
child welfare program, the partnership’s
Training Unit delivers an extensive training
curriculum for entering and advanced
child welfare workers, and caregivers
(foster, kinship and adoptive). Through
the Child Welfare Education program, the
partnership offers financial support and
customized field education and coursework
for social work students committed to
careers in child welfare. Partnership
Researchers provide evaluation support for
federally-required programs such as the
Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project
and others. Although we provide training in
locations throughout the state, the majority
of staff training is held in Salem while the
majority of Caregiver training is provided in
caregivers local communities.
Staff training includes:
Child Welfare Core Training
Certifier and Adoption Worker Trainer
Foundations Training of Trainers for
Regional Caregiver Trainers
Social Service Assistants Training
Freeing and Placing Children for
Adoption Training
Advanced Engagement Skills Training
Distance Delivery Training
Supervisory Training
In the 2007 - 2009 biennium, the Training
Unit trained approximately:
2600 Child Welfare Professionals
200 Child Welfare Community
Partners
4000 Child Foster, Adopt, and/or
Relative Care providers
Almost 3000 training events were held
in the biennium included classroom and
distance delivery, on-site and regional
training and training delivered by a
combination of in house professional
trainers and contracted subject matter
experts.
For more information contact Marty
Lowrey, Child Welfare Partnership Director
of Training at 503-315-4273 or email
mlowrey@chemeketa.edu.
SEDCOR – Strategic Economic
Development Corporation
SEDCOR, is the lead economic
development agency for Marion and Polk
Counties. We are a private, non-profit
membership organization, composed of
over 500 business and community leaders.
Our mission is to enhance and diversify the
economy of the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Being located in the new CCBI building is
a great step for SEDCOR in strenghening
the area’s economic base and workforce.
Workforce development is a large part
of SEDCOR’s mission, as a highly skilled
workforce is essential for a competitive edge
in recruiting new businesses and the ability
for local businesses to expand or introduce
new technology. Our partnerships with
Chemeketa and other organizations is
crucial to industry development.
Education is a key component to economic
development and in response to this,
SEDCOR and Chemeketa have developed
the Industrial Maintenance Operator/
Mechanic (IMOM) program. It is tailored
to local industry needs and is designed to
identify experts to facilitate the transfer of
that knowledge to other members of the
workforce.
Seasoned workers have been identified
and are being certified as Master Trainers.
They in turn will teach modules which have
been developed for specific skills in areas
including painting, welding and fabrication.
Safety and other foundation skills training
will be provided to companies in all
industries.
The IMOM Program was awarded the
Oregon Economic Development Association’s
2009 Outstanding Collaborative Partnership
Award with the Chemeketa Center for
Business and Industry. The IMOM program
was also featured in the Statesman Journal
recently as one of the Top 10 Good News
Stories in 2009.
SEDCOR’s Program of Action
Business Retention and Expansion
Program - Business resources and
information; Employee recruitment,
screening and retention; and management
and process expertise Manufacturing Advocacy - ensuring
an adequate supply of industrial land,
marketing of industrial land and buildings,
infrastructure and other land use planning
activities International Trade and Export Promotion
- help to locate new export markets and
export financing Economic Incentives - through Enterprise
Zones, tax and energy credits and employee
training Industrial Recruitment - foreign and
domestic companies.
SEDCOR Events - for networking and
support, and to facilitate the exchange of
ideas and information.
Publications and Information Resources
- to keep our members up-to-date on the
region’s economic development progress
and activities in the business community.
Call 503-588-6225 or visit www.sedcor.com
Oregon Business Development
Department
Tom Fox, Oregon’s Business Development
Department’s Business Development Officer
for Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties has
shared office space with SEDCOR for many
years. Business Oregon works to create,
retain, expand and attract businesses
that provide sustainable, living-wage jobs
for Oregonians. Tom has contributed to
the growth of our local economy through
workforce development, strategic insight
and thoughtful advocacy. He refers business
loans to the State for traded sector business
(manufacturing) and assists with managing
the Regional industry consortiums.
Tom makes appropriate referrals of
business to the SBDC and Chemeketa
Community College. He works on supply
chain issues; serves as a Board member
of the Enterprise for Employment and
Education; and makes workforce referrals.
Tom’s list of duties also includes assisting
with recruitment of new businesses
and retention of workforce for existing
businesses. He manages the Strategic
Reserve Fund at the regional level and also
acts as a partner to local jurisdictions in
economic development. Tom was recently
the first recipient of the Outstanding Partner
Award from the McMinnville Economic
Development Partnership.
Amid the rubble of the disaster in Haiti
is a lesson for all of us. What is important
in life is our family and friends. It is so
easy to forget when we are caught up in
our daily lives.
Innovation, Creativity, Excellence - All
of this, plus more will take place as the
organizations located in the new Chemeketa
Center for Business & Industry (CCBI)
building work to accomplish their common
missions. This new building just north of
downtown Salem, is poised to offer great
resources for the business community. Not
only is it in a great, convenient location, it has
provided the opportunity for many resource
partners to continue to build an effective
workforce and economic development
system to create skilled workers, high wage
jobs and economic opportunity for our
communities.