User Spotlight

Allison Forbes:

As VP of Research, I develop initiatives that fill gaps in information hindering regional economic development. Last year we launched two new initiatives: a “Future of Work” initiative that examines industry and technology change and considers future talent and skills needed; and “Expanding Access to Labor Market Information,” which seeks to ensure that information about labor markets is available to nonprofit, education and workforce organizations supporting young people along their career paths. These initiatives require applied research and partners who can advance practical applications of data and insights.

An important lesson that I have learned over the past four years working at CREC: It takes time, resources, creativity and dedication to effectively integrate data into decision-making processes. This applies to all stages of the process—convening decision makers, scoping research questions, gathering and synthesizing information, and delivering the information to key audiences.  

Be patient and don’t overextend yourselves! Local and regional EDOs are in the unique position to define and refine priorities for investment through partnerships and these partnerships can be built around commitments to advance an evidence-based practice at a regional scale, ensuring that efforts to procure, process and present data are sustainable. A first step can be co-producing a report that sources data from the state labor market information agency or from StatsAmerica. .

When federal or state agencies and StatsAmerica hear from us about what information we need and how we would like to receive it, these data producers have an opportunity to refine products and services. It is also important for all of us to say, “that sounds important, but we don’t have that information,” or “that information is not easily available, but it would be valuable if we had access to it.” Pointing out challenges and resource constraints can help us to identify a way forward.

I think there are a lot of missed opportunities due to a common assumption that we don’t have control over how technology affects our lives, our workplaces and our regions. There is so much about the deployment of technology that depends on human initiative and our response. There is so much about technology that is political and negotiable. Critically, for our field, our response informs whether our businesses are successful in navigating emerging markets, adjusting to changes in consumer preferences, and managing talent. We can all improve our engagement with technology today by pursuing more productive inter-generational and cross-departmental exchanges at work and promoting interdisciplinary approaches to economic development research and strategy.

Each organization needs to lead by example—walk the talk. At CREC, we pursue equity and inclusion strategies in three areas: staffing, networks and data. In staffing, we consider whether our staff bring expertise and experience that helps us to serve our clients and their constituents and whether we are sourcing talent effectively from our metropolitan area (the D.C. metro). For networks, we consider whether we are contributing to and engaged with professional development networks that are inclusive and that seek to ensure equity in the profession and its leadership roles. In data, we consider whether data collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation practices are inclusive and equitable. To make progress, we need more women and people of color in leadership roles, experts and analysts with ties to rural and low-income communities, and job seekers and employers from these communities who see a return on investment when they contribute to research and policymaking.

In late September, we presented findings on the labor market for cybersecurity talent in North Carolina. We delivered the results to a convening of the Carolina Cyber Network, a group of 14 community colleges and four-year colleges preparing students for the challenges of securing cyber systems across the state. Member schools are seeking to align curriculum with the needs of employers in manufacturing, energy, agriculture, fintech and public sectors. In attendance at the convening were three community college presidents, a state legislator, and business leaders who called for increasing awareness of challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity talent development. Our next step is to document promising practices emerging from leaders in the network.