News
Empowering High School Students to Power the Workforce: Work-Based Learning is Here to Stay
In a time where demand for workers is uncharacteristically high while unemployment hit its lowest point since 1969, strategies to equip high school students with the skills and knowledge for in demand careers has never been more critical. Across the United States,...
How can emerging digital literacy programming avoid the pitfalls of financial literacy programming?
As daily life digitizes, local governments, and community stakeholders are focused on ensuring that residents have the skills to engage in life online. As part of this effort, communities nationwide are developing plans that promote “digital literacy” among residents...
Why Local Economic Development Organizations Should Track Resident Retention Data
At a Glance Regions are investing heavily in talent attraction efforts. However, to sustain economic growth brought on by talent attraction efforts, it is a worthwhile pursuit for economic developers and community leaders to consider talent retention strategies. New...
Childcare, the Workforce, and the Economy: Connecting the Dots
We hear it often—the weight of expensive and inaccessible childcare on working families with young children. What we haven’t discussed enough is the overall impact this challenge has on the U.S. economy… until now. Without a doubt, affordable and available childcare...
TPMA Conducts Statewide Broadband Survey to Inform Digital Equity Next Steps in West Virginia
TPMA today announced it has signed on with the West Virginia Department of Economic Development’s Office of Broadband as their strategic consultant to conduct, report, and visualize findings of a statewide survey of broadband availability, affordability, and use to...
TPMA Launches Important Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Planning to Bolster Michigan’s Competitive Advantage
TPMA announced today that it has partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) as its strategic consultant to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategic planning for the organization. This is an important milestone for MEDC as it...
TPMA Leading Evaluation for the Center for STEM+eXcellence at Morehead State University
TPMA today announced it has signed on with Morehead State University as their strategic consultant to lead external evaluation for their Center for STEM+eXcellence. The TPMA team will assess the extent to which STEM+eXcellence is on track to fulfill project outcomes,...
Don Wood Foundation, TPMA, and Questa Educational Foundation Launch ‘Achieving Postsecondary Attainment’ Initiative
The Don Wood Foundation, Questa Educational Foundation, and TPMA have launched the "Achieving Postsecondary Attainment" initiative to advance postsecondary education awareness, access, enrollment, and completion among twelve (12) counties in Northeast Indiana (NEI)....
Economic Development Strategic Plan in Process For Clarksville Montgomery County, Tennessee
TPMA today announced it has partnered with the Clarksville Montgomery County Economic Development Council (EDC) as their strategic consultant to lead an economic development strategic plan for the region. This is an important milestone for the Clarksville-Montgomery...
TPMA Prepares New Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan for Mountainland Economic Development District
Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) and Mountainland Economic Development District (MEDD) have partnered with TPMA to prepare a new Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region, including Summit, Utah, and Wasatch counties. The project...
TPMA Launches Market Research Study Focused on Meeting Local Retail Needs
MORENCI, MI: The City of Morenci has partnered with TPMA to complete a market research study focused on meeting local retail needs. “This is a first step to getting the baseline information that grocers and other retailers will need to make decisions on locating to...
Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) Brand Refresh Announcement
Thomas P. Miller and Associates (TPMA) reintroduces its brand identity, positioning, and brand promise—celebrating its 34-year national consulting legacy and positioning the firm to tackle today’s modern workforce and economic development challenges with a fresh...
TPMA and Don Wood Foundation Launch Technical Education Ecosystem Study
The Don Wood Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to the advancement of manufacturing, entrepreneurship, sales, and leadership-related education in the region, and Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA), today announced a partnership to complete a...
Case Study: TPMA Housing Analysis in Knox County Indiana
Housing matters to economic development—it enhances economic performance and place competitiveness. Performing a housing study will help your community determine the total demand, the type of housing that’s needed, and the ideal price. Below is a case study of a TPMA...
TPMA to Complete Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy in the Eastern Sierra Region of California
Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced it has partnered with the Golden State Financing Authority (GSFA) as their strategic consultant to provide extensive planning in the update of the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The...
TPMA to Host Free Virtual Apprenticeship Academy in Partnership with National Association of Workforce Development Professionals
Thomas P. Miller and Associates, a leading provider of workforce development training and solutions, is proud to partner with the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) to host a free virtual Registered Apprenticeship Academy. This academy...
CHIPS Act 101: Ten Things You Should Know
The CHIPS and Science Act will boost American semiconductor research, development, and production, ensuring U.S. leadership in technology that forms the foundation of everything from automobiles to household appliances to defense systems. The law ensures the United...
St. Lucie County Partners with TPMA on a Housing Needs Assessment Study
In an effort to address immediate and future housing needs, the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners, along with the cities of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, have partnered to hire Thomas P. Miller and Associates to undertake a year-long process of...
TPMA to Design and Implement Statewide Evaluation of New Hampshire Workforce Development System
Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced it has signed on with the State of New Hampshire as their strategic consultant to design and implement a statewide evaluation of the NH Works/American Job Centers (AJC) and the New Hampshire workforce...
Local College Leverage TPMA Expertise to Start Summer Camps with Grant Money
Franklin College and the University of Indianapolis will host summer academic camps next year, with over $1.1 million in grant money from Lilly Endowment Inc. The money will be spread over three summers, with both schools hosting camps for middle schoolers, as they...
TPMA Facilitating Workforce and Strategic Planning for Knox County Health Department in Illinois
Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced it has signed on with The Knox County Health Department in Illinois as their strategic consultant to design a workforce development plan as well as a comprehensive strategic plan. TPMA is looking forward to the...
The Keys to America’s Next Manufacturing Renaissance
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, the United States, in 2022, is at the forefront of experiencing its next manufacturing renaissance. From chemical makers and metal-benders to aerospace/defense and semiconductor chip manufacturers, a recent Bloomberg...
TPMA Recognized As Apprenticeship Ambassador By United States Department Of Labor
TPMA is pleased to announce our recognition as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the United States Department of Labor, a distinction presented for promoting, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeships and with regard to our lead role in strengthening...
TPMA’s 2022 State of the Workforce in Manufacturing
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, the United States is in 2022 at the forefront of experiencing its next manufacturing renaissance. The industry has also proven its tenacity - From the seismic shifts experienced during the recession period ten years ago, to the...
TPMA Preparing ‘Game Plan’ for AmeriCorps Program-Kentucky College Coaches
Exciting news! TPMA is creating a holistic "game plan" for AmeriCorps program Kentucky College Coaches (KCC). This includes designing a high-quality training curriculum that will result in an apprenticeship or other certification for participants post service as well...
Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board Launching Digital Literacy Asset Mapping for Equity
Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced its partnership with The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board (PA WDB) as their strategic consultant to implement a Digital Literacy Asset Map that identifies existing digital literacy training options,...
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Underway for Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG)
Northeast Alabama: Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced it has partnered with Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) as their strategic consultant to provide research and development, data analysis, and comprehensive planning in...
The Implications of Digital Access, Digital Skills and the Digital Divide on the Workforce
As the workforce shifts towards digital landscapes, communities, particularly those in in rural settings and historically underserved urban areas, face challenges in providing residents with adequate access and tools needed to participate in the digital workforce....
Economic Resiliency Plan Underway for Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas: Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced it’s partnership with the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Corporation (LRGVDC) as their strategic consultant to prepare a regional recovery and endurance plan with a focus on...
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022: An Increased Focus on Equity
Last week, the House Committee on Education and Labor passed a bill reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the authorizing statute for America’s workforce development system. Known as H.R. 7309, the reauthorization would make notable...
In North Central North Dakota, Economic Development Leaders Tackle Lack of Housing, Workforce Shortages
DEVILS LAKE – In northern North Dakota, economic development leaders are trying to figure out what comes first — housing or workers. “Housing goes hand in hand with workforce, and all of our counties are also having workforce issues,” said Sandy Shively, executive...
TPMA’s 10 Important Takeaways From the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Infrastructure Law sets the stage for a massive investment in the country’s infrastructure across the decade ahead. Everyone agrees the legislation will help rebuild or at least fortify the country’s rails, roads, and bridges to a certain extent. The law will...
Economic Development and Educational Leaders Build Back Better Together
Just two years ago, we were attentively exploring solutions for mobilizing industry, education, and policymakers as each recognized the urgency and criticality of the workforce gap and skills shortage sweeping the nation. Spring forward, and the concerns of how to...
Why Now is the Perfect Time to Consider Organizational DEI
How do you optimize your organization’s culture? How do you create an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging? As we carve out organizational goals and KPI’s for 2022, now is the perfect time to consider diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Data shows...
Amid ‘Great Resignation’, Access To Living Wage Jobs Remains A Challenge For Rural Communities
On the backdrop of a January 2022 Jobs Report that reflects a continuation of America’s workforce crisis, a ‘Great Resignation’ which endures to afflict American small to medium to nation-spanning businesses, a newly-launched study, entitled, ‘The Prosperity Through...
TPMA Partners with the City of Yuma to Elevate Business Attraction Efforts
Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) today announced it has signed on with the City of Yuma, Arizona as their strategic consultant to conduct a Targeted Industry Analysis and Marketing Plan. TPMA is looking forward to the new partnership and thrilled to be leading...
TPMA Adds Dan Schmidt as Senior Director of Indiana
Dan Schmidt is joining Thomas P. Miller & Associates, Inc. (TPMA) as Senior Director for Indiana. Schmidt was energy, environment, transportation, and gaming policy director under former Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Schmidt also holds a masters degree from the...
TPMA Adds Scott Sattler as a Senior Strategic Advisor
Thomas P. Miller and Associates (TPMA) announces Scott Sattler, Senior Strategic Advisor, has been added to their team. Sattler recently served with the director for the Perry County Economic Development Authority. TPMA, which is based in Indiana, is a national...
Southeast Indiana READI Plan Guided By TPMA Awarded $15 Million
Southeast Indiana’s six-county regional collaborative has been awarded $15 million by Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation through the READI program. Gov. Holcomb and Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers announced $500 million in...
TPMA Greenville Housing Plan Moving in the Right Direction
Source: Greenville Journal At the start of last year, Greenville’s Affordable Housing Coalition set a lofty goal — to bring about a thousand new affordable housing units to the area each year for the next decade. The grassroots organization, convened by the Greenville...
TPMA Apprenticeship Success Story: 300th Apprentice to the Apprenticeship Network
When TPMA was asked to implement the Apprenticeship Network’s American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) grant, our priority was to secure at minimum 300 new registered apprentices—and that’s just what we did! During National Apprenticeship Week, we recognize the...
The Importance of Apprenticeships in 2021
Workforce concerns are increasing. Nearly every business has a “Now Hiring” sign in the window and our talent pool seems to be rather shallow. While I am hearing concerns about finding and hiring good people, a helpful, steadfast answer to this challenge may be...
Indiana Broadband Leader Scott Rudd Joins TPMA
Source: Inside Indiana Business INDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis-based Thomas P. Miller & Associates has hired Scott Rudd as a strategic advisor. Rudd most recently served as director of broadband opportunities for the state of Indiana under Lieutenant Governor Suzanne...
Our Changing Educational Ecosystems
From declining enrollments to a shift in student demographics, our educational ecosystems are experiencing challenges like never before. Many schools are experiencing a decline in student enrollments. This is partially due to a decline in traditional-age college...
Strategic Partnerships Fuel Workforce Success
Collaborative efforts among organizations are critical for regional economic impact, especially when it comes to workforce. It’s been my experience that regional economic development success comes from strategic partnerships, and it all begins with a strategic plan....
Cast a Wider Net For Curriculum Development
When working on a workforce development strategic plan, it is highly likely that it will involve a need for curriculum development to fill a gap. As a former high school English teacher and charter school curriculum advisor, I know firsthand that designing curriculum...
This Labor Day, Lets Put Ohio’s Workers Front and Center!
Labor Day is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Ohio’s workers. This year, as the economy continues to reopen and COVID19 infections spike across the country, Labor Day feels like a particularly important opportunity to recognize and honor the sacrifices...
Optimizing the Potential of Industry Clusters
Industry clusters may hold the key to differentiating a region by defining its uniqueness of offerings, with the potential of leveraging these attributes for a comprehensive economic development strategy. The process of developing this comprehensive strategic plan...
What’s Your Story?
Our task at Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) is to identify resources and put together competitive approaches to funding. Currently, the market is flooded with grant dollars—the federal government is releasing billions of dollars and foundations are offering...
Education as a Solution in Recovery Strategies to ‘Build Back Better’
Less than two years ago, we were attentively exploring solutions for mobilizing industry, education, and policymakers as each recognized the urgency and criticality of the workforce gap and skills shortage sweeping the nation. Spring forward, and while there are still...
TPMA Conducting WIOA Individuals with Disabilities Employment Study
Thomas P. Miller and Associates (TPMA) is currently developing and conducting a comprehensive study of the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The study aims to identify and better understand the reasons...
Download Our American Rescue Plan Act Guide
This document offers a high-level overview of funds deployed through the American Rescue Plan, with allocations for states and territories. Funds deployed to counties and cities are also mentioned. Ultimately, this document is intended to offer guidance to eligible...
TPMA Launching New Podcast Series
Good news! This month we are launching 3 new podcasts to help communities locally and across the country approach and solve their toughest workforce, economic development, and community challenges. Each show will highlight a trailblazer making transformational changes...
TPMA Leading Workforce Operations Policy and Process Analysis for Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Our expert consultants are currently providing project management and capacity support to Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). TPMA will support DWD’s policy review and drafting needs by creating a policy matrix and calendar, researching and developing...
Carol D’Amico, Former Executive Vice President at Strada Education Network, Joins TPMA
Carol D’Amico joined the firm as a Strategic Advisor, effective March 15, 2021. D’Amico is a nationally recognized author and leader in workforce and higher education and has decades of experience developing 21st century solutions for state and federal governments and...
2021 Prosperity Through Equity Survey
TPMA has launched Prosperity Through Equity, a survey which will create a national snapshot exploring pandemic impact on rural communities across the U.S. The Prosperity Through Equity assessment covers a community’s strengths, areas of need, and local...
Key Information: American Rescue Plan Act 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act provides $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency, or its negative economic impacts. Here are a few things you need to know: Amount of...
TPMA at the Table as Thought Leaders in 2020 Statewide Indiana Rapid Recovery Efforts
Last year we absorbed the sobering news that more than 22 million people in the United States were suddenly without a job and we immediately sprang into action—recognizing that workforce development, education and economic development collective work is needed now...
Our Experts Led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for National Epidemiologist Non-Profit During The Pandemic
In August 2020, TPMA partnered with The Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)—a national organization with members across the country that is using the power of epidemiology to fight the spread of COVID- 19. Our team conducted an organizational DEI...
IT Workforce Assessment Underway in Southern Rural Texas; Led by TPMA
TPMA is currently performing a comprehensive Information Technology Workforce Assessment to strengthen the talent pipeline for IT in the Lower Rio Grande Valley Region including Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr, and Willacy counties. Our consultants are diving into workforce...
TPMA Economic Development Experts Jumpstart Regional Labor + Housing Study in Northeastern North Dakota
We recently partnered with the North Central Planning Council to conduct a robust Regional Labor Study to understand the trends impacting the regional economy. The study will identify opportunities and challenges in the regional talent ecosystem that should be...
TPMA Leads City Wide Data Collection to Help City of Bozeman Tackle Racial + Socioeconomic Inequity
TPMA is a national leader in evaluation with distinct approaches including logic models and evaluation design, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, reporting, and assessments of program implementation. Our evaluation experts are currently working...
Brenda Vogley Joins Ohio State Apprenticeship Council
Brenda Vogley from our team has been added to the Ohio State Apprenticeship Council as an Advisory Member. Vogley brings depth of experience to her role on the Council. She has served as a project manager for several projects funded by the Ohio Department of...
The Positive Impact of Apprenticeship Programs
Apprenticeship programs are often misunderstood, even after existing for 457 years! The old idea that apprenticeship is reserved for the building trades occupations (you know, a carpenter, plumber, or electrical worker) is outdated. Today, an apprentice could come from manufacturing, healthcare, even IT.
Rewire Weekly Blog 8-26
HAPPY HERALD Federal Grants for an Equitable Future By Aaron Finley - Project ConsultantAmericans face challenging times. However, in many communities, high unemployment, disparate educational outcomes and financial uncertainty are not just features of the COVID...
Rewire Weekly Blog 8-19
HAPPY HERALD A COVID-19 Silver Lining: Renewed Faith in Cities’ Adaptability By Mackenzie Krott - One Stop Operator, Philadelphia WorksCities are organic. They continuously reinvent themselves, and disasters often drive their change. Take Christchurch, New Zealand....
Rewire Weekly Blog 8-13
HAPPY HERALD How to Choose Virtual Learning Tools for Disabled Students By Nioka Clark - Senior Project ConsultantInstructors are inundated with software options for designing virtual lessons—from online programs to collaborative tools and educational apps. A...
Rewire Weekly Blog 8-5
HAPPY HERALD Supporting Minority Businesses Builds Wealth, Community By Nithya Pramekumar - Senior Project ConsultantOne of the most important things we can do to support Black people is to frequent their businesses right in our own communities. Being intentional...
Rewire Weekly Blog 7-29
HAPPY HERALD Just-In-Time Solutions for the New Normal By Dawn Buskirk (Drinkard) - Senior DirectorUnemployment rates are slowly declining as Americans begin to return to their “new normal” work sites. State and local workforce boards along with their training...
Rewire Weekly Blog 7-22
HAPPY HERALD NIMBY Crowd Turns to COVID-19 Sites By Gabe McFadden - Project Associate Adding more testing sites seems like a reasonable method to help stop coronavirus, yet a plan as simple as increasing testing sites, faces all too common of a foe in development:...
Rewire Weekly Blog 7-15
HAPPY HERALD Many Silver Linings in Clouds of Stress By Mike Higbee - Vice President, Economic Development & Community ResiliencyCharles Darwin is thought to have said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one...
Rewire Weekly Blog 7-8
HAPPY HERALD Equity in Online Food Shopping By Sara Niccum - Business Strategy AssociateAt the start of the pandemic, many people prepared for isolation by stocking up on toilet paper and nonperishable goods. This prophylactic consumption requires that families have...
Rewire Weekly Blog 7-2
HAPPY HERALD Employers Hold Key to College Access By Roy Vanderford- Senior DirectorThe COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to create an earn-and-learn year that keeps connections between students and colleges. We even have a blueprint for how this could work for...
Rewire Weekly Blog 6-24
HAPPY HERALD Victory from the Garden By Sara Niccum - Business Strategy AssociateRecently, we’ve learned of many weaknesses in our supply chains for essential goods and services. Even technology cannot save us from processes that require some element of...
Rewire Weekly Blog 6-17
HAPPY HERALD Zoomed Out? How to Tackle Video Fatigue By Megan Wagner-Ingram - Senior Consultant/DEI Consultant Zoomed-out (adj): Mental fatigue from overuse of Zoom, the enterprise video conferencing software turned digital classroom (source: Urban Dictionary)....
ReWire 4.16 How to Leverage the Pandemic for Good
Many of us are already preparing for the residual economic damage from COVID-19 that is about to afflict every American community. Uncertain days are ahead, whether it be citizens looking for jobs, businesses struggling to get back on their feet, or local and state...
Getting Ahead Of Student Angst
Leaders in higher education should not think of the recent surveys of worried students as fait accompli. There are solid strategies for persuading incoming freshman and existing college students to overcome their coronavirus anxieties and come to campus. The surveys...
Working in the New Normal
If you are like most clients of Thomas P. Miller & Associates, you are acclimating to working from outside of the office, probably from home, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It might be a new experience or an expansion of existing culture, but life is...
Coal Communities Diversify Toward Bright Futures
Coal is in retreat in the United States, with nearly 30% of mining jobs vanishing in the past five years alone. But some coal communities are taking command of their futures through determined innovation. In southwestern Wyoming, a partnership of Sweetwater...
Higher Education Innovates Through a Perfect Storm
Colleges and universities are experiencing challenging times. Online learning is rising at a time when the number of available 18-year-olds is shrinking due to declining birth rates. Traditional colleges and universities also are working to service debt due to...
A Full-circle Journey Reveals Latent Interest in Economics
Jessica Villa-Cruz Account Manager, Client Talent Delivery, JobsOhio Just a month into my job promotion last year I realized I was growing into responsibilities I hadn’t exactly aced in college. But here I am, thrilled with this position at JobsOhio and the work I’m...
My Expectations Were Limiting the Potential of My Team
Evelyn Burnett Co-founder and Partner, ThirdSpace Action Lab Why can’t my business partners and others around me move more quickly? Why can’t they make snap decisions? Why can’t they sacrifice more, work longer hours and understand the urgency of the problem we’re...
When Everyone Thinks You’re Something Different
Rob Guentter Jr. Staff to the Board, Ohio Workforce Development Area 16 Too often, we learn that perception is reality. OhioMeansJobs matches job seekers with employers in Ohio. But we were surprised to discover that our key constituencies thought of us as a welfare...
Opportunity Zone Survey Reveals Optimism, Confusion
A new survey designed to assess the status of Opportunity Zones in Indiana shows a high interest in the economic development incentive. However, the survey, conducted by Thomas P. Miller & Associates with support from the Indiana Economic Development Association,...
Oklahoma Chooses TPMA To Improve State Work-Based Learning Program
Oklahoma is emerging as a leader in setting occupational standards for internships. The state is meeting the needs of job seekers, employees, employers, and educators by better organizing internship activities, and the new emphasis holds great potential for fueling a...
Workforce Development In 2020
Regardless of industry, workforce and talent have been driving forces in recent years. Thomas P. Miller & Associates believes this trend will accelerate in the next decade and continue to disrupt post-secondary education, workforce development, and talent...
Urban Land Institute (ULI) Pottstown, Pennsylvania Project
Openness to new ideas brings prosperity. Pottstown, Pennsylvania, is remarkably foresighted. The borough, which is a 45-minute drive from Philadelphia, lost its bread-and-butter steelmaking industry decades ago. Today Pottstown relies heavily on its health and...
IHCDA Workforce Housing
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) has partnered with Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) to pilot an Anchor Employer Workforce Housing program for the State of Indiana. The program encourages anchor employers across the state to...
WIOA State and Regional Planning Update
A system with many silos also has many plans, but the ‘intent’ of WIOA has encouraged stakeholders in the talent development ecosystem to play in the sandbox and play nicely! As the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) is ending its first four-year State Plan...
Response to NYT November 17, 2019 Editorial – Opportunity Zones for Billionaires
Your paper’s November 17, 2019 editorial, “Opportunity Zones for Billionaires,” addresses several issues with the Opportunity Zone Program, but not the whole story. The program does provide a significant incentive to primarily the affluent, but small and medium-sized...
TPMA Had a Staff Retreat!
TPMA employees from around the country gathered in Indianapolis earlier this month for an all-staff training focused on strategic planning; race equity and inclusion (REI); and cross-team collaboration and team building. STRATEGIC PLANNING We turned our strategic...
Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) Grants
The U.S. Department of Education (US ED) has recently released awards for Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grants. The purpose of these grants is to help eligible institutions become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income...
Vincennes University Excelling with Career and Technical Education
A new review of leading Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs around the United States shows that one of the best is in Indiana. The review by Thomas P. Miller & Associates found that Vincennes University, a TPMA client with a home campus in its namesake...
Tenacity and Trust: A Recipe for a Powerful Partnership
By Betsy McIntyre Director, Tristate Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Consortium I have had the privilege of working with many partnerships over the years. Each has been similar in terms of purpose (workforce development) and structure (with public and private...
Government Should Empower Citizens to Dream
By David Henke 3rd District, Elkhart City Council, Elkhart, Indiana Sometimes government is the barrier. I have been a city councilman in Elkhart, Indiana, for 16 years and chair of the Finance Committee for most of those years. Few of us are experts in finance,...
Embrace Your Strengths and Hire Those Whose Strengths You Need
By Marie A. Cini President, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning We all evolve as leaders and managers, and training programs can help us grow within these roles, improving our organization’s success. But too often, popular training programs and assessments...
Let’s Celebrate Workforce Development!
It is Workforce Development Month and what did TPMA do to celebrate? Participate, participate, participate. Recognizing the importance of workforce development, specifically the crucial role of federal investments, and its most precious resource, workforce development...
High School Pre-Apprenticeship Program Wraps Up First Year
This effort addresses TPMA’s implementation work with the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition (MVMC) for its U.S. Department of Labor American Apprenticeship Initiative grant. The overall goal of MVMC’s grant is to increase the number of apprentices in a 14-county...
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: City of Paducah
Activities: Communities that invest in the arts reap the additional benefit of jobs, economic growth, and a quality of life that positions those communities to compete in a 21st century creative economy. Paducah has built an entire economic sector around artists,...
A Sweeping Look at Micro Credentials
Some of the best workforce training comes in small packages. Bite-sized credentials designed for students with barriers to education and employment can open doors to otherwise difficult-to-reach jobs. Thomas P. Miller & Associates has nearly completed a...