We recently put the finishing touches on a new certification curriculum for Business and Employer Services Professionals (BESP).  Developing the curriculum required us to do a lot of homework on our own.  We wanted to share something we thought was interesting.  It really is focused on those whose job it is to reach out to local businesses for job development and job placement services.  But in these tough economic times, we can all take a lesson.

Economic development is the goal.  Whatever your preferred definition for economic development, it is a process.  It integrates human and financial capital with physical and natural resources.  And it produces marketable products and services.  There are four keys — distinct types of development — that make up the process and make it work.

Community development pulls important pieces from the community together to prepare it for economic development.  Organizational capacity development pulls the teams of people and organizations together to raise funds, develop strategies, and accomplish tasks that none could do individually.  Business development solves problems that help attract, retain, and expand local businesses.  And workforce development establishes partnerships among business, education, and government to build skills and fully develop the productivy potential of the local workforce. 

For us, workforce development is the key.  Among the first two site selection requirements that most businesses look for when making a decision about locating in an area are … availability of a skilled workforce and reasonable cost of labor.  Those of us in workforce and career development hold the real keys to that one!

So what’s this all about?  Well, we are having some pretty tough times economically right now.  And we’re not out of the woods yet either!  We won’t borrow our way out of this problem, and we won’t wish our way out of it either.  But we have a chance to work our way out.  And that’s our business.  We are in the workforce and career development business.  If we don’t have our hand on the solution — which is the workforce — nobody else does either!  Think about it!  Be encouraged!  And get busy rebuilding the dream!!!