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KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON <br />Strategies and Actions <br />2.1. Strengthen the County's talent pipeline by aligning development, attraction, and retention <br />efforts with the needs of current and future employers. <br />2.1.1. Form a partnership among economic development organizations, higher education institutions, and <br />employers to ensure training programs are meeting the needs of County employers. This partnership <br />should involve the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Ellensburg, CenterFuse, the South <br />CentralWorkforce Development Board, WorkSource, HopeSource, CWU, and localschool districts, among <br />others. <br />2.1.1.1" Evaluate and prioritize training initiatives that support economic development within the County. <br />2.'1.1.2. Connect entrepreneurs and small businesses to workforce development programs and efforts. <br />2.1.2. Leverage data to better align CWU and community needs (for example, alumni employment data to <br />understand who is staying in the County and who is leaving). <br />2.1.3. Promote the formation and expansion of industry sector councils to ensure the critical workforce and <br />business competitiveness needs of each sector are addressed. <br />2.2. lmprove coordination between CWU and employers to create opportunities for learning and <br />employment for students and community mernbers alike (e.g., internship programs). <br />create internship programs that give students an <br />opportunity to gain work experience while offering <br />businesses access to talent. Use the Puble <br />lLfre s-trueture S e auilyqvLej Edlealrail Sy s,t-em <br />(PISCES) cybersecurity program as a model. <br />ldentify and implement additional opportunities to <br />connect students with local organizations (business <br />community and nonprofits), including live client <br />projects and service learning and community <br />engagement. <br />Expand opportunities for a business development <br />center in the Upper County (Cle Elum), like the John <br />Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center in lowa (see text <br />box). Such an initiative could be a joint effort <br />between CWU and the County with grant/EDA <br />financing. <br />lncrease CWU engagement and support of youth <br />development programs in the County. One such <br />example is Washington State's support for the 4-H <br />youth development program. <br />2.3. Align and strengthen the network of entrepreneurial support organizations. <br />2.3.1. Coordinate the Chamber, CenterFuse, downtown associations, and the lnstitute for lnnovation and <br />Entrepreneurship (l4lE) efforts to eliminate duplication, strengthen support systems, and target high- <br />opportun ity industries. <br />2.2.1 <br />2.2.2. <br />2.2.3. <br />2.2.4. <br />John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) <br />ln addition to supporting the University of <br />lowa's entrepreneurship curricula, the JPEC <br />has a startup accelerator and incubator and a <br />range of competitions, awards, and challenges <br />open to students and non-students alike. <br />Entrepreneurs not affiliated with the university <br />can also receive assistance in the form of <br />business consulting, small business <br />development center workshops, and <br />import/export business education, research, <br />and consulting. JPEC also engages the <br />community by providing teachers with <br />professional development opportunities and <br />innovative curricula for K-12 and providing <br />resources to support small businesses. <br />Source(s): bfipsllrswalpiqa4l <br />PAGE 9 I ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN