Kittitas County EDSP 2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON PAGE 9 | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN Strategies and Actions 2.1. Strengthen the County’s talent pipeline by aligning development, attraction, and retention efforts with the needs of current and future employers. 2.1.1. Form a partnership among economic development organizations, higher education institutions, and employers to ensure training programs are meeting the needs of County employers. This partnership should involve the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Ellensburg, CenterFuse, the South Central Workforce Development Board, WorkSource, HopeSource, CWU, and local school districts, among others. 2.1.1.1. Evaluate and prioritize training initiatives that support economic development within the County. 2.1.1.2. Connect entrepreneurs and small businesses to workforce development programs and efforts. 2.1.2. Leverage data to better align CWU and community needs (for example, alumni employment data to understand who is staying in the County and who is leaving). 2.1.3. Promote the formation and expansion of industry sector councils to ensure the critical workforce and business competitiveness needs of each sector are addressed. 2.2. Improve coordination between CWU and employers to create opportunities for learning and employment for students and community members alike (e.g., internship programs). 2.2.1. Create internship programs that give students an opportunity to gain work experience while offering businesses access to talent. Use the Public Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System (PISCES) cybersecurity program as a model. 2.2.2. Identify and implement additional opportunities to connect students with local organizations (business community and nonprofits), including live client projects and service learning and community engagement. 2.2.3. Expand opportunities for a business development center in the Upper County (Cle Elum), like the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center in Iowa (see text box). Such an initiative could be a joint effort between CWU and the County with grant/EDA financing. 2.2.4. Increase CWU engagement and support of youth development programs in the County. One such example is Washington State’s support for the 4-H youth development program. 2.3. Align and strengthen the network of entrepreneurial support organizations. 2.3.1. Coordinate the Chamber, CenterFuse, downtown associations, and the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I4IE) efforts to eliminate duplication, strengthen support systems, and target high- opportunity industries. John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) In addition to supporting the University of Iowa’s entrepreneurship curricula, the JPEC has a startup accelerator and incubator and a range of competitions, awards, and challenges open to students and non-students alike. Entrepreneurs not affiliated with the university can also receive assistance in the form of business consulting, small business development center workshops, and import/export business education, research, and consulting. JPEC also engages the community by providing teachers with professional development opportunities and innovative curricula for K–12 and providing resources to support small businesses. Source(s): https://iowajpec.org/