2nd Annual Workforce/Economic Development Summit a Great Success!

The Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Competitive Workforce Alliance held the 2nd Annual Regional Workforce/Economic Development Summit: Developing Regional Talent at the Charlotte Marriott Executive Park on Tuesday November 13,2007.

The Summit had over 120 attendees from public and private sector businesses,workforce organizations,non-profits,and educational institutions from across the 16 county region.

Ronnie Bryant,president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Partnership,kicked off the Summit.  Chris William host of "Carolina Business Review" on WTVI moderated a panel discussion featuring Dr. Peter Gorman,superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System,Dr. Tony Zeiss,president of Central Piedmont Community College,and Dr. Phil Dubois,chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  The panelists took questions from the audience and discussed how to identify critical talent shortages,what learning institutions are currently doing to prepare the workforce in both the hard/technical skills and soft skills employers need and,what employers,elected officials,non-profits and others can do individually and together to help/complement educational institution's efforts.

Dr. Peter Creticos,president and executive director of the Institute for Work and the Economy,followed the panel.  He spoke on successful coordination efforts between economic development,schools and workforce development on a national level.  David Hollars,executive director of the Centralina Workforce Development Board,provided specific examples on what is being done in the Charlotte USA region to bring together and coordinate economic development,workforce development and schools in terms of workforce retention and improvement.

Those attending the Summit agreed that it was a success and helped further open doors of dialogue between economic development,workforce development,and educational institutions.

"The Workforce/Economic Summit is a great example of the superior cooperation that happens everyday in our region," said David Hollars.  "Workforce development boards continue to engage our JobLink and One-Stop Career Centers and their partners to ensure that local economic developers,and the Charlotte Regional Partnership have their most important ingredient for success - a literate and skilled workforce."

The Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Competitive Workforce Alliance would like to thank all of those that attended the 2nd Annual Regional Workforce/Economic Development Summit.  An electronic evaluation will be sent out to all attendees and can also be accessed here.  Please stay tuned to the Centralina Workforce Development Board's blog at www.centralinaworkforce.com to find out what others from across the region thought of the Summit.

If you are interested in participating in future Workforce/Economic Development Summits please contact Emily Clamp at (704) 348-2732 or by email at eclamp@centralina.org.  For more information on the Charlotte Regional Partnership or on the Competitive Workforce Alliance please contact David Hollars at (704) 348-2717 or by email at dhollars@centralina.org.

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