News
Miller named to new Purdue committee exploring economic development opportunities
Tom Miller, President and CEO of Thomas P. Miller and Associates, has been appointed to a new Purdue University committee exploring new business models that will help resource high impact teaching, research and engagement at Purdue.
Miller has been appointed to a sub-committee on State and Regional Engagement, one of several being assembled as part of Purdue's Decadal Resourcing Plan Project.
The State and Regional Engagement Sub-Committee will focus on identifying mutually beneficial partnerships and partnering models with public and private entities in Indiana and surrounding states. Of specific focus will be Purdue's role in economic development, engagement with the PK-14 educational community, innovative models for developing human capital, and maximizing Purdue's opportunities to engage with industry. The sub-committee will focus on identifying new models of engagement, eliminating barriers to productive partnerships, and enhancing the campus engagement climate.
Workforce Development and Education Systems Face Major Changes
TPMA Senior Vice President of Workforce Solutions Roy Vanderford sees great change coming to both the workforce development and education systems. And with the coming change, Vanderford sees great opportunity for workforce boards and staff to better align with their community college and employer certification requirements.
Vanderford writes: "Traditional models of strategic planning resulting in changes at the margins will not suffice in this environment. We will need to act with speed in 'acting our way to a new pan' instead of 'planning for new ways of acting.'"
He sees these factors on the horizon:
--Agility in rapidly responding to changing workforce and economic situations;
--The increased use of skill certifications by employers as the new currency in the workforce system;
--The continued and explosive use of technology in the job search and training processes;
--Strategic regional leadership by workforce officials, economic developers, and educators;
Vanderford notes that the current Workforce Investment Act was originally enacted as a five year program in 1998, and is far overdue to be reauthorized or replaced. Regardless of the future of the program, funding cuts seem certain. "Doing more with less will be the rule of the day," he says.
For the full article, click here.
TPMA Tapped for Virginia Workforce Evaluation
TPMA will conduct a program evaluation of the Capital Region Workforce Partnership in the Richmond, Virginia area. The Partnership serves the City of Richmond, Charles City County, Chesterfield County, Goochland County, Hanover County, Henrico County, New Kent County, and Powhatan County. The contract was awarded by the Virginia Community College system, which was assigned statewide responsibility for administration of the Workforce Investment Act and staffing for the Virginia Workforce Council.
The evaluation, which is expected to be completed in early September, will include a review and analysis of plans, policies and other documents, interviews with system stakeholders, a review of governance, operations, and service delivery and a final report of findings and recommendations.
TPMA Senior Vice President Roy Vanderford will lead the project.
Social Media Expertise
Social Media Expertise Need help navigating the tricky waters of social media?
That's a common question we often get asked, particularly by our workforce and economic development clients. The world of communications has changed considerably in just the past few years, and every organization has different needs and faces their own set of communications challenges. We can help you begin to answer many of your social media questions and whether one or more of the many tools available make sense to you. Our staff has years of experience in social media. Whether a blog, email newsletter, Facebook page, LinkedIn presence, regular tweets, or something else might work for you, we can help find the right mix.
For more information, contact Victoria Hirschberg, TPMA senior project consultant at Victoria@tpma-inc.com or 505.803.7373. Be sure to follow us on twitter at @tpma-inc.
Boomers and the Entrepreneurship Boom
According to a new report from the Kauffman Foundation, the nation may be on the cusp of an entrepreneurship boom—not in spite of an aging population but because of it. According to the report, more and more "baby-boomers" are becoming entrepreneurs. The decline of lifetime employment, the experience and knowledge of the age group, longer lifespan, and the effect of the current recession are all factors contributing to the increase in entrepreneurial activity in the baby boom generation.
Key findings: In every year from 1996 to 2007, Americans 55-64 had a higher rate of entrepreneurial activity than those aged 20-34, averaging a rate of entrepreneurial activity roughly one-third larger than their youngest counterparts.
• The 20-34 age bracket has the lowest rate of entrepreneurial activity.
• Long-term employment has fallen dramatically for people ages 35-64 over the past fifty years.
• With longer life expectancies and greater health in later life, older generations may continue to start new firms—or mentor young entrepreneurs.
• Since the first Internet-era recession, transaction costs and barriers to entry have fallen for entrepreneurs of every age. For more information and the full report, click here.
The Four 'Metaforces' Driving the Next Economy
According to Derek Thompson, Associate Editor of The Atlantic magazine, there are four "metaforces" driving the next economy. He notes that despite the policy-making efforts of Washington, "the jobs of the future are at the mercy of giant, global forces that are largely out of our control." Thompson interviewed Bruce Katz, director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, on these metaforces.
For the full article outlining the big four metaforces shaping the economy and jobs of the future,click here.
