Workforce Development

Date: March 20-21, 2014
Location: Washington, DC Metro Area

This course is held in conjunction with the Federal Economic Development Forum

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

Instructors:

Diane Lupke, CEcD FM 
President
Lupke & Associates, Inc.

Ms. Diane Lupke, CEcD, FM is President of Lupke & Associates, Inc., Consultants in Community Economic Development. Lupke & Associates, Inc. is a consulting firm specializing in market-based solutions for communities in economic transition. Since its founding in 1990, Ms. Lupke, her Associations, and Staff have helped more than 100 communities to identify niche opportunities, build consensus, and transform lagging economies with "new economy" methods. Ms. Lupke is an authority on the use of enterprise zones and other special tools for development, and she has twenty-five years experience in designing and implementing development strategies. Lupke & Associates has earned distinction for its work with distressed communities that face particular challenges: urban neighborhoods, struggling downtowns, and isolated rural economies.

Debra Lyons 
Vice President, Community and Economic Development 
ACT Workforce Development Division

Debra Lyons was recently named as Vice President of Community and Economic Development for ACT, Inc., Workforce Development Division. In this position, she will lead a national effort to provide community based workforce solutions to states to drive economic growth and greater productivity. Prior to this role, she served as the Executive Director for the Governor's Office of Workforce Development for Governor Sonny Perdue. She was responsible for advising the Governor on workforce development policy and implementing initiatives to strengthen the state's workforce development enterprise. The office provides a platform for collaboration among Georgia's principle workforce development stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. Additionally, the office provides staffing support for the State Workforce Development Board, of which Lyons served as executive director. Most recently she served as Executive Director for Workforce Development Strategies for the Technical College System of Georgia prior to joining ACT.

John P. Metcalf 
President 
Workforce Systems Associates

Residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, John P. Metcalf has been involved in solving workforce development challenges for 17 years. First, as a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board where he served as the Vice-chair; then as a senior partner with the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; and now as President Workforce Systems Associates. Before his involvement with solving community workforce challenges, John spent 30 years at AT&T in a broad range of sales, marketing, and executive leadership positions allowing him to bring a business focus to workforce and community planning.

Accommodations/Training Location:

Westin Alexandria 
400 Courthouse Square 
Alexandria, VA 22314-5700 
Phone: (866) 837-4210

IEDC room rate: $229.00/single and double 
Group rate cut-off: Wednesday, February 26, 2014

This training is being held in conjunction with the Federal Economic Development Forum

Mastering federal programs to benefit your community is no easy task. Attending the Federal Economic Development Forum is a vital component to any economic development strategy. Register today and take the first step toward making the federal government work for you.