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Councilman Greg Stanton's
Business Journal of Phoenix Column
July 2005
Phoenix Workforce Connection – a Model for Economic Development
In today’s competitive economy, it is critical to train our workforce for the programs of tomorrow. Our regional economy is going up against others around the country and the world. A progressive model would bring employers, trainees and groups doing the training under one umbrella.
As of July 1, the city of Phoenix started doing just that.
We moved our Workforce Connection Program into the city’s Community and Economic Development Department. It’s an important and logical step - part of creating a culture of knowledge in Phoenix, Maricopa County and our whole state. Even the name of the City Council subcommittee that I chair, Knowledge Workforce, points toward a future local employment base with the skills needed to thrive in sectors like the biosciences, computers and technological research.
Phoenix’s Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the future downtown University of Arizona Medical School campus and Arizona State University’s planned Scottsdale Center for New Technology and Innovation are a few major examples of a region-wide commitment to cutting-edge jobs and top-notch training opportunities to boost our economy.
The basic role of the Phoenix Workforce Connection is to provide job skills for residents looking to improve themselves, while matching that training to our employers’ needs. That’s why making the program a part of our economic development function just makes sense.
“We hear over and over from employers that there is a desperate need to have a labor force with competitive skills in today’s global knowledge economy,” said Bobby Franco, acting Community and Economic Development Director.
Other organizations working on economic development point to the new Phoenix model as a national leader.
“It’s very unique and from a major-market standpoint, it is revolutionary,” said Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC).
Broome is working to create training and economic development partnerships throughout the community and says Phoenix is leading the way with merging workforce training and employment needs.
“Blending these two activities together increases the effectiveness to attract companies and jobs, the effectiveness of the community to compete and the effectiveness of people to find employment,” said Broome.
The Phoenix Workforce Connection Board has already been studying industries like the biosciences to determine training needs. They’ve worked to make medical and information technology training the top educational sectors in our programs.
Merging workforce training with economic development also means the same city department can help companies move to Phoenix or expand their present operations here, identify company needs and train qualified workers to fill positions.
“The state is excited about it,” said Jody Ryan, the new director of workforce policy at the Arizona Department of Commerce. “It’s something we want to tout at the national level. … We want to learn that practice and help other areas – share the success with the rest of the state.”
Sharing success with our businesses, residents, the entire Valley and the state is a major goal for Phoenix. We understand that our regional economy ties us together. We need each other to continue our surge into the upper tier of the bioscience and technology centers.
Knowledge is our joint future.
Matching knowledge training with knowledge needs removes barriers to entry for employers and workers, pushing all toward a progressive, inclusive model for workforce success.
Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton represents District 6 and chairs the City Council Knowledge Workforce, Education, Arts & Culture Subcommittee. If you have any questions about any issues, please feel free to call Councilman Stanton's office at 602-262-7491, e-mail greg.stanton@phoenix.gov or visit phoenix.gov/district 6.
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