Workforce Development
Our economy is shifting due to rapid technological change and globalization, and the Rockford Region is losing its share of educated young professionals. These trends demand a proactive, strategic and collaborative approach from community and economic development professionals to retain and attract workforce talent.
Knowledge workers are a community’s most significant assets; they are mobile and entrepreneurial.
The Rockford Region must think strategically about promoting advantageous population growth.
Enhanced Urban Destination.
Talented younger workers are attracted by urban lifestyles and pedestrian access to a wide range of amenities. We will work with the City of Rockford and other municipalities to renovate and transform underperforming downtown spaces throughout the region.
Improved Workforce Pipeline.
We will foster collaborative education and training partnerships among business, government, education and nonprofit sectors to ensure that our workers have competitive skills, to improve customized training services for employers, to identify and pursue innovative workforce development strategies that show promise for our region and to support K-12 and higher education efforts to improve student performance.
Developed Immigrant Workforce.
We will develop a strategy with the expectation of rapidly moving the immigrant workforce up the wealth curve into middle class and improving educational attainment.
Proposed 5-Year Budget: $525,000
Performance Measures:
- Increase population growth in the Rockford Region, with a significant percentage of growth in the urban core
- Steady improvement in Voice of the Customer survey results on workforce issues