Skilled workers are the backbone of a productive and efficient economy. This versatile course explains the strong relationship between economic and workforce development through case studies, practical examples, and current research. Course participants will learn what programs currently leverage federal, state, and local financial resources to support workforce development. Learn about what collaborative programs will help upgrade the skills of your community’s existing workforce. Other topics of discussion will include: talent attraction, K-12 development and integration, occupational analysis, target industry clusters, and more.

Course Highlights:

• Reviewing the core components of the workforce development system
• Availability of funding sources at the local, state and federal levels
• Accessing Department of Labor grants and initiatives (e.g., WIRED)
• Understanding occupational data analysis and career pathways
• Assessing qualifications, skills and abilities of current workforce
• Recruitment and retention of a skilled labor force
• The role of higher education in workforce and economic development
• New alliances, new models and best practices in regional & local initiatives

View the agenda and register by July 15.

This highly interactive course lets participants work in small teams to help understand the complexity of strategic planning and its challenges. Economic developers must build consensus among board members, stakeholders and the community as a whole, creating a unified vision for the future. Learn techniques to build consensus among stakeholders who represent different values and interests. Also, participants will learn the quantitative techniques used to better understand their community including: location quotients, shift share, input-output and cluster analyses. Explore project assessment methods for setting priorities and measuring your plan’s impact.

Course Highlights:

• Stakeholder analysis, structuring participation, planning fundamentals
• Consensus building, group facilitation and conflict
• Defining geography, competitive advantage and SWOT
• Determining vision, mission, goals and objectives
• Demand-side strategies and supply-side strategies
• Identifying projects, strategy formation and implementation
• Setting realistic benchmarks and measuring success
• Exploring the use of dashboard indicators

View the agenda and register by July 4th for early registration rates.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Course is designed to provide an understanding of the basic concepts, theories, methods and practice will be taught by professionals who have earned the CEcD designation and members of the University of Wisconsin Extension Center for Community and Economic Development.

Features of this year’s course include:

• Small class size to accommodate interactive and group learning
• Hands on tours
• Opportunities to learn from experienced economic developers from around the state and country

This course is a required course towards becoming a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) with the International Economic Development Cuoncil.

There are ten $150 scholarships available. To apply for the 2013 scholarship, please download the 2013 application and submit your application by 5:00pm on Monday, July 15.

Learn more, view the agenda, and register online.

Join fellow entrepreneurs, nerds, designers, geeks, hackers, and creative professionals from the Midwest in an 11-day celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship. The 2013 Forward Technology Festival provides the rare opportunity to interact with professionals across a wide range of disciplines. Network at events like High Tech Happy Hour, interact at events like BarCamp, and learn at the Forward Technology Conference.

Featured Event! Wisconsin Startup Night: Madison Startup Showcase
Presented by Accelerate Madison and Capital Entrepreneurs
With sponsorship from Madison Region Economic Partnership
Join us on August 19th for a lightning round of startup pitches from Madison’s most compelling emerging companies on the “big stage” at the Majestic. The area’s best tech networking begins at 5pm, and presentations start at 6pm. This event will be live webcast by Sonic Foundry and participants will receive a video recording of their performace. Registration is free through August 14.

Confirmed presenters so far are: PerBlue, Murfi, Drifty Co, EatStreet, Asthmapolis, HealthFinch, ShowShow, MobileIgniter, Quintessence Bioscience, Networked Insights, and C-Motive Technologies. Please contact Accelerate Madison or Capital Entrepreneurs if you’d like to be included.

2013 Forward Technology Conference
The Forward Technology Conference on August 21st represents the summer’s best opportunity to spend a day networking with some of the area’s top entrepreneurs and hearing from experts on a wide range of topics relevant to your technology business. Whether you’re thinking about launching a startup business or you’re an experienced entrepreneur, you’ll find this conference relevant and insightful. The conference will take place at Memorial Union, with a reception to follow on the Terrace. Register online by August 19th.

View the festival events summary.

 

 

Join MITA for this second meeting in an ongoing series with the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, to learn about the local resources available to do business internationally.

Attendees will learn from international development professionals about the benefits and challenges of going global. Featured speakers include:

• Stanley Pfrang, Market Development Director – India, the Middle East, and Africa; Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
• Jen Pino-Gallagher, Bureau Director, Agricultural Market Development, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
• Teri Anderson, Senior Manager, International Channel Marketing, Promega Corporation
• Nick Kiernan, Executive Vice President for Media, TrafficCast
• Zach Brandon, President, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

Register online.