This guidebook presents 64 profiles of successful economic development initiatives in the small towns and rural areas of 37 states. Intended for use by rural and small town leaders and rural economic development specialists, the guide provides ideas, encouragement, and an "insider perspective" on alternative rural development strategies.…

Economic development efforts in small towns should focus on the birth, expansion, and retention of small enterprises. A consistent and rational policy towards new growth and an enthusiastic development team composed of individuals with knowledge of or access to others with knowledge of industrial sites, financing, utilities, labor, transportation,…

Aimed at stimulating new jobs in Appalachia, especially through creation/expansion of small businesses, the 1986 workshop attracted 200 participants from throughout the region, including state and local officials and community and business leaders. Workshops addressed new developments in capital opportunities, market development strategies,…

West Virginia Governor Arch Moore discusses past and present changes in the Appalachian Region and in West Virginia spurred by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Changes in West Virginia's tax structure, job creation, economic diversification, and public energy facilities are noted as efforts to prepare for the future. (NEC)

Case studies on recreation, tourism, retirement homes, and information processing and distribution centers illustrate service industries subject to deliberate economic stimulation. The panel concludes that Appalachian communities may be missing major opportunities for development due to misunderstandings and "myths" about the economic…

Some 280 industry, education, labor, and state and local government leaders exchanged information about how Appalachian programs can harness technology to make traditional industries more competitive, package capital for job-creating industries and business, launch service industries, match education with jobs, and fit displaced workers into the…

This resource guide is intended to help communities that want to implement an entrepreneurship training program. Chapters I and II contain general advice for the planning process, such as how to assess need and community support, assess current services for entrepreneurs, select target clientele, develop a community support network, and identify…

This practical aid is designed to help individuals and organizations working at the local level on employment and economic issues to build effective public-private partnerships and develop stronger links between economic development and employment and training activities. It is intended for practitioners at the policy and program levels in public…

The panel reviewed five efforts to integrate education into the workplace through cooperation between private industry and government, use of university research resources to save jobs while providing students with hands-on training, and community and school joint preparation of teenagers for social and economic participation. (NEC)

Presents eight noninstructional strategies for improving employees' performance in any organization. These alternatives to instruction include job redesign and reassignment, recruitment, organizational development, facilities and tool redesign, incentive and feedback systems, and provision of a strong rationale for the desired performance so…

Designed specifically for private industry councils (PICs), this guide introduces the subject of economic development and job creation and highlights the impact PICs can make through carefully chosen involvement in local economic development efforts. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to economic development: What it is; how it is related to…

Federal appropriations totalling over $162 million during fiscal year 1984 enabled the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to attack the region's most critical needs. Area development appropriations ($43 million) were used to create almost 10,550 new jobs and retain nearly 4,100 jobs, give special assistance to Appalachia's neediest 80 counties…

This manual collects experiences of successful linkage programs to demonstrate the promise of linkage and to show its limits and risks. It is intended to help communities assess the capacity of linkage to meet their needs and evaluate the considerable commitment this strategy requires. (In linkage programs, developers who receive community…

Business incubators can help fledgling firms get off the ground by providing business services and rental space, at below-market costs, for a business's first few years. The payoff for the community is more jobs. Concentrated until recently in urban areas, incubators are now succeeding in rural areas too. (JHZ)

This document consists of three closely related reports, dealing with "State Governments", "Regional Councils", and "Local Econcomic Development Agencies", respectively, together with a fourth document, a preceding overview. These documents draw from results of a project to identify successful approaches to coordinating economic development and…