Month: November 2014

2015 Ohio Basic Economic Development Course

The Ohio Basic Economic Development Course (OHIO BEDC) is an intensive introductory training experience for economic development practitioners, community leaders, local government officials and others committed to building healthy economies for their communities. I ran the Ohio BEDC for 7 years back in the 1990s while at Cleveland State University. The course meets for three days; March 3-5, 2015. The location chosen for the 2015 course is The Marriott Columbus Northwest, 5605 Blazer Parkway, Dublin, OH  43017, 614-791-1000. The 2015 course agenda is still being finalized. The cost is $700.00 per participant. Learn more here: http://www.ohioeda.com/event-1773226 The BEDC curriculum covers the following subject areas:

The core curriculum covers the following:

  • business retention and expansion
  • strategic planning
  • marketing/business attraction
  • economic development finance
  • small business and entrepreneurship development
  • community/neighborhood development
  • real estate development and reuse
  • workforce development
 Other topics for the course include:

  • building development organizations
  • development and the environment
  • understanding the global economy
  • international trade
  • community development theory
  • data gathering and analysis
  • existing industry development

Ashtabula County Workforce Challenges

The size of Ashtabula County’s total residential workforce (workers living in the county) has dropped from an annual average of 50,300 in 2005 to 46,100 in September 2014, representing a drop of 4,200 workers over the decade, which represents an 8.3% reduction in the size of the county’s workforce. The primary reasons for a reduction in workforce size in any geographic area are: 1) the migration (relocation) of workers outside the county; or 2) workers have dropped out of the workforce because they are no longer actively seeking work or their unemployment benefits have ended and they are no longer reflected in the workforce estimate numbers.

Also, the number of Ashtabula County residential workers who are employed has dropped from 46,800 in 2005 to 43,500 in 2014, which is a drop of 3,300.

These numbers in large part explain the drop in the county’s unemployment rate from 7.1% in 2004 to 5.7% in September 2014. During the past decade Ashtabula County’s unemployment rate peaked at 13.2% in 2009.

Finally, the number of jobs located in the county dropped from 33,446 in 2005 to 29,992 in 2013 for a loss of 3,454 jobs over the period.

So what are the solutions to the problems pointed to here?

  1. Ashtabula County must work much harder at retaining existing residential workers who work in the county.
  2. Ashtabula County must attract new workers to live in the county.
  3. Ashtabula County must encourage more workers living in surrounding counties to work in the county.

Data source: Ohio Labor Market Information, Ohio Job and Family Service

 

Ashtabula County Workforce Commuting Patterns

This table was generated using Census on the Map, a data visualization tool available from the U.S. Census Bureau. The PDF table depicts worker commuting patterns for Ashtabula County from a place of employment of place of residence standpoint. Download the PDF table: ac commuting patterns

Of note, 33% of those people working in Ashtabula County live outside the County. Meanwhile, 48% of those living in Ashtabula County work outside the County.

Northeast Ohio Business and Jobs Report, Third Quarter 2014

Report from Our Regional Partners: Team NEO and JobsOhio

Regional economic development activities helped to strengthen Northeast Ohio’s economy in the third quarter of 2014 by attracting and supporting the growth of 16 businesses, including Core-Mark and TruBridge, Inc., reports the Q3 2014 Regional Economic Development Report.
The report provides the most complete snapshot of economic development results for Northeast Ohio. It is based on activity reported by JobsOhio, Team NEO, major city chambers of commerce and economic development organizations (Growth Partnership is one of them) in 18 counties across Northeast Ohio.

Q3 highlights from the report include:

  • 16 attraction and expansion successes
  • 3,521 jobs
  • $260 million in payroll
  • $289 million in new capital investment
Featured Post

Welcome to Growth Partnership’s Development Forum

Successful economic and community development requires access to timely and relevant information and knowledge. The Ashtabula County Development Forum (or ACDF) provides this information to anyone sharing the Growth Partnership’s interest in increasing economic prosperity and vitality and improving quality of life in Ashtabula County.

What type information can you expect to find on the Development Forum? You will find information about:

  • The major work directions and efforts related to the Growth Partnership’s new Forward Ashtabula County action plan.
  • Noteworthy economic and community development projects in Ashtabula County.
  • Advances and changes in Ashtabula County businesses and the county’s strategic industries (manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and agribusiness, health and medical related businesses, and technology businesses).
  • Innovative new ideas, strategies, and policies transforming local economic and community development.
  • Important developments in surrounding counties, the Northeast Ohio region, across Ohio and the U.S., and to some extent internationally.
  • How to increase the impact of economic and community development through innovation and collaboration.
  • Training opportunities in economic and community development.
  • Information and data informing us about the health and well-being of the county economic base, the regional economy, and local communities.
  • New research on economic and community development.
  • Other information that helps us do our economic and community development jobs in Ashtabula County.

Tell us what you would like to see on the Forum!

Want to know more? Please contact us by email at: Don Iannone, Growth Partnership CEO.