The need to invest in our nation's crumbling infrastructure goes back decades. But today, with millions of people unemployed, there is unprecedented momentum to act. Women, immigrants, and people of color are disproportionately represented in these numbers as are young adults. President Joe Biden and Congress are counting on infrastructure…

State efforts to boost the economy--economic development--first came to Pennsylvania in the 1950s with the establishment of the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) low interest loan program used to recruit manufacturers to Pennsylvania, including devastated coal regions. Since that time, economic development in Pennsylvania and…

To address the economic crisis facing the country, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009. This sweeping legislation provides $789 billion to jumpstart the economy and boost employment. This act includes $463 billion in new spending and $326 billion in tax relief directed at those…

Describes the approach of the Economic and Employment Division of the Melbourne (Australia) City Council to creating jobs. The division started a business to recycle used lumber into furniture, providing training and jobs for several people. Following the success of that business, several new ventures were started with private funding. (CH)

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.…

This publication describes some of the basic features of state industry services programs, particularly those related to job training. It seeks to answer the following questions: How does an industry services program differ from more traditional vocational education programs? What types of training are provided? Who benefits? How are the…

Schuykill County, Pennsylvania, has launched a coordinated community development effort with six areas of focus (economic development, education, infrastructure, quality of life, government, and private-sector leadership) and four overall goals: job creation, increased earnings, improved education, and lowered poverty rate. Interlinked projects…

Community-based development organizations (CBDOs) appear to be a major force for the economic and physical rejuvenation of distressed, low-income communities. A CBDO is a private nonprofit group that serves a low-income community or constituency, is governed by a community-based board, and is an ongoing producer, with at least one completed…

This report describes a community development course focusing on income-generating projects for rural women. The first section outlines the schedule of activities for each day of the 16-day course. The second section defines course objectives, including purpose and methodology, planning, group dynamics, cooperation, communication, negotiation, and…

"The Quality-of-Life Action" conference was held to: (1) involve more people in activities relating to economic well-being; (2) plan for responsible growth and environmental preservation; and (3) involve people in quality-of-life legislation. Included is the conference's draft of a "Proposed Berkeley Ordinance on Quality-of-Life…

The Duke Endowment's Program for the Rural Carolinas is a 5-year effort to assist the revitalization of rural communities. Guiding principles of the program are that the rural Carolinas matter, this generation of workers matters, effective community development involves the entire community, solutions must be locally determined, healthy…

Describes rural implementation of the Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities program, which combines flexible long-term financing with strategic planning and performance benchmarking to empower impoverished communities to address structural problems comprehensively. Impressive 3-year results include job creation; improved community services;…

This paper discusses the REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) model as a necessary component of rural school-to-work (STW) programs. In rural areas where opportunities for traditional STW approaches (such as apprenticeships) are limited, entrepreneurial education teaches students to be job creators, not just job applicants. This…

This paper discusses the use of gender analysis to ensure that economic development policy has equitable consequences for women and men, and describes the role of nonprofit community organizations in promoting such analysis. Gender analysis assumes that role differences between men and women are socially defined and therefore open to change.…

This report profiles three workforce organizations across the country--in Colorado, Georgia and New York--and explores the strategies they used to grow their programs locally. The report examines the dilemmas workforce organizations frequently face in meeting not only the needs of their dual customers--job seekers and employers--but also the needs…