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MLC Economic
Development, Workforce Development & Labor Committee
July 2008 Meeting
The Economic Development, Workforce Development & Labor Committee will meet in conjunction with
the
63rd
MLC Annual Meeting in Rapid City, South Dakota.
View agenda here.
Economic Development, Workforce Development & Labor Committee
Sunday, July 13, 2008
~
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Rushmore Plaza Civic Center ~ Rapid City, South Dakota
Agenda
Presiding: Ohio
Rep. Thom Collier, Co-Chair
Connecting Worker Skills to Labor Market Demands
Despite increased unemployment
rates in many Midwestern states, many businesses express frustration
with an inability to find workers with the necessary skills to fill
job openings. What can policymakers do to ensure that worker skills
are matching the demands of today’s labor market? This session will
explore strategies for preparing workers for employment in
high-demand fields.
Presenters will discuss strategies for better matching worker skills
to business needs in two areas: (1) practices that help expose young
people to real-world work experiences and opportunities through
apprenticeships, internships and other experiential programs; (2)
programs that help raise the skill levels of low-skill and displaced
workers. The role of technical and community colleges will be
highlighted.
Mr. Michael Freed, Interim Director, Engineering, Technoloyg & Manufacturing Solutions, Sinclair Community College, Ohio
Ms. Marcia Hultman, Deputy Secretary and Director of Workforce Services, Department of Labor, South Dakota
Ms. Karen Johnson Kretschmann, Training Liaison, Business, Industry and Community Services, Madison Area Technical College, Wisconsin
The Role of the State in the Development and Commercialization of
Innovation and New Technologies
In light of the increased
recognition of the importance of innovation to the economy, more and
more states are looking to play a role in encouraging the
development of new technologies, as well as strategies to move those
technologies to the marketplace. This session will explore
questions surrounding public support of innovation and its
commercialization. What role should states play in supporting
research? How can publicly supported research and technology move
to the commercialization phase?
Mr. Mitchell Horowitz, Vice
President & Managing Director, Battelle Technology Partnership
Program
Dr. Melvin Ustad, Director, Office of Commercialization, Department
of Tourism and State Development
Resurgent Midwest, Insurgent Growth: The Path to Economic
Prosperity for the Midwest
As Midwestern states work to
revive and redefine their economies in a changing global
marketplace, what strengths can policymakers capitalize on and what
weaknesses do they need to overcome? Dr. Graham Toft will explore
some of the factors that the region’s policymakers can tap into to
serve as economic drivers for future growth. He also will unveil
plans for a regional “economic intelligence” project that will
provide policymakers with state-by-state economic competitiveness
information and policy options. Initially, this project would serve
the needs of Midwestern legislators during 2008 and 2009, years that
could prove to be very critical to states as they adjust to a softer
U.S economy, while seizing opportunities in international trade in
agricultural products and manufactured goods – areas of competitive
advantage for the Midwest. Attendees will participate in a
roundtable discussion of what information will most help them in
encouraging economic growth and crafting sound economic policy for
their states?
Dr. Graham S. Toft,
President, GrowthEconomics, Inc.
Is there a Midwestern Slow-cession? (Commentary by Dr. Graham
Toft)
Resurgent Midwest, Insurgent Growth (CSG Midwest project
proposal)
Past
Meetings and Projects
For more information, contact:
Laura A.
Tomaka
last updated:
July 13, 2008
