U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre Hosts Job Creation Summit at CFCC

Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. That was the buzz at the Job Creation Summit hosted by U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre at Cape Fear Community College on Tuesday. The forum focused on how Southeastern North Carolina can bring together partners from public, private, and educational institutions to improve workforce development, business recruitment, and job creation.

Several heavy hitters were there to educate the attendees, including: NC Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco, Executive Director of the BRAC Regional Task Force Greg Taylor, U.S. Department of Labor Regional Representative Robert Asaro-Angelo, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier, and Senior Advisor and Director of Strategic Initiatives of the U.S. Department of Commerce Barry E.A. Johnson.

The featured panelists echoed President Obama’s call for Americans to “out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world.” This call for action has become increasingly relevant as we are in a conceptual age where economic development is becoming more and more competitive. Regions aren’t just competing against each other anymore, now nations are...and the United States is falling behind. Look at your tricked out iPhone or Blackberry…bet it ain’t made in America.

While the two-hour summit covered a range of issues, there were two themes unanimously emphasized.

The first was higher education. A staggering 27% of students in the U.S. are high school drop outs. This is at a time where the majority of the workforce must be highly educated and highly skilled. At the federal level, leadership has responded by creating an action plan to boost college graduation rates. President Obama has even gone as far to challenge every single American to get more than a high school education, even if it is just one additional course in higher education. This is undoubtedly in response to two issues: the global achievement gap where the U.S. is tied for 9th place for college completion for 25-34 year olds, and second being the need for students/graduates to learn those skills needed in the knowledge based workforce.

The second theme was the unveiling of a new economic development framework for regions across the nation. Panelists also provided a range of tools at the federal level used to implement this strategy. While the federal government cannot lead the private sector, it can provide support and nurture ideas that come out of business and community convening. The top-down role they play is advancing a common framework- the feds have incredible resources and can play a role in presenting and encouraging frameworks that work.

So what is that strategy? Regionally led economic development.

I realize this doesn’t sound necessarily groundbreaking as most regions have economic development boards, councils, and departments in place. However, this strategy is focused on a ground-up approach rather than the top-down fads that are often adopted in an effort to keep pace.

The panelists suggest local leaders better align their individual workforce system by providing training programs that specifically meet regional workforce sector needs. It becomes dangerous when regions focus on the new cool industry because more often than not, they aren’t positioned to effectively carry them out—let’s get real, not everyone can have a booming nanotechnology industry.

Most regions have a prevailing industry, asset, and particular opportunity for growth… therefore, regions must pursue economic development initiatives that value the unique strengths of that individual area.

A number of strategies were provided, but one of particular interest was the Regional Innovation Clusters Model (RICs). They are geographic concentrations of firms and industries that do business with each other and have common needs for talent, technology, and infrastructure. This new framework leverages core regional strengths by coordinating and synchronizing workforce development efforts like business training, counseling, mentoring, commercialization and technology transfer services. This way, there is a consistency and a common goal. Graduates and others looking for work have a better chance of finding the training and resources they need to get a job…a job in the region they live nonetheless.

In closing, we realize we must have the best trained, educated, and skilled workforce to compete in the global economy. A daunting task, right? Fortunately, the panelists presented an array of federal resources and toolkits to help assist regions as embark on their economic development journeys.

We all too often get stuck on what we think we aren’t. But the main takeaway here is the importance of focusing on the Cape Fear Region’s assets and building on them. We have the ports. We have film. We have tourism. We have beaches. We have a downtown riverfront. We have biotech. We have military. We have arts. We have colleges. Most importantly, we have a southern-hospitality-beach-minded vibe that is unrivaled. We are a unique area brimming with potential for incredible job creation…

Carpe diem.

Catching the Entrepreneurial Wave

For many young professionals in Wilmington, suitable work is hard to come by…but the quality of life is too good to prompt them to move. This makes a compelling case for entrepreneurship. If you can’t find a job in the place you love, create your own! Take Mickey Anglemyer, a Cape Fear Community College graduate who recently launched Mickey June Surfboards, a design company that makes custom surfboard art for young groms up to seasoned surfers.

After putting herself through college, Mickey was saddled with student loans. With an associates in art and design, she was worried there was no profitability in art… so she decided she needed to do something more mainstream and marketable like graphic design—“something that fit the mold …a 9 to 5 kind of thing”.

Graphic design positions were difficult to find in the Cape Fear region so she reluctantly moved to Raleigh where she landed an internship creating images, logos, websites, and screen printing. But Mickey says she was always more attracted to the creative and artistic side of the visual communication company and not the production and processing pieces.

“I like the feeling of working with my hands. I never felt like I could create what was in my head on the computer…it is too rigid, too structured. My vision is too organic and my style is the thing that will make me successful.”

After spending a few months in graphic design, Mickey switched gears. It all started when she decided to paint a psychedelic scene on her boyfriend’s surfboard for his birthday. Upon completion, she was pretty impressed with the product and knew that with the robust surfing community in the Wilmington area, there was serious potential for her designs.

“I wanted the freedom to create what I see. Surfboards are something I’m naturally drawn to because of the lifestyle, the youth, the colors, and the shape. The Greeks used to paint pots with sea creatures according to the shape of the vase. It seems like common sense but there are very few instances where you can do that. You can create a painting that is made for the shape and size of that particular board—it’s like giving it a face or a personality. The more research I did on surfboard art the more it became abundantly clear there isn’t much out there on the East Coast. It’s hard to find an artist that has really done it and built the brand.”

Mickey has tapped into a unique niche and is seeing no shortage of orders. With an extensive network in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, boards are floating in left and right. While business is booming, Mickey is looking to grow her brand and formally create a startup…but she needs help.

Her story is one of many. College students are increasingly encouraged to think more entrepreneurially across all disciplines as our workforce and market demand is constantly changing. Securing a job these days isn’t easy, but as studies show college graduates are likely to choose a location before a job, it isn’t surprising that entrepreneurial ventures are on the rise.

Luckily, Wilmington is home to the UNCW Entrepreneurship Center, which is able to provide the financial and business guidance needed by young entrepreneurs. Institutions like this one are vital to economic development in our region. Entrepreneurs like Anglemyer have a vision and have a specific target market. But without support from the experts it is difficult to secure capital, launch a marketing campaign, find work space, file legal status, generate a stable revenue stream, and quite frankly, maintain sanity within the new found pressures of the business world.

In Mickey’s case, entrepreneurism and quality of life go hand in hand. It is important that our Foundation, in cooperation with others, realize this linkage and build a bridge to foster entrepreneurial growth while simultaneously enhancing our region’s already incredible assets so we can grow and attract new business- exceptional business- right here at home.

Surf’s up…and so is entrepreneurism!

The Stars of New Hanover County

StarNews recently revealed that New Hanover County is ranked sixth in the state for the number of teachers with National Board Certification for 2010.

This is exciting news and on behalf of the Cape Fear Future Team, I want to offer a huge congratulations to our newly certified teachers!

This article caught my eye for two reasons: Cape Fear Future is committed to improving our region’s educational system and this is an extraordinary achievement that should be highlighted at great length. Secondly, this certification process hits home for me because my mother, a former art teacher of Roanoke Rapids, NC, was one of the first teachers to qualify for the National Board Certification in the early 1990s. After reading the StarNews article, I called my mom to ask about her personal experience.

“The National Board for Teacher Certification was the most grueling experience of my professional life. But once accomplished, the experience changed everything about the way I saw my teaching and my students. The National Board is voluntary: a challenge where one must be fiercely committed to being the best you can be. As in any worthwhile endeavor, to be better, to step beyond what is expected or ordinary, one has to take risks. It was such a remarkable experience. New Hanover County must be very proud of their newly certified teachers.”

I remember this time period well. Aside from losing almost every one of her hair follicles and the diversion of copious amounts of blood away from her vital organs, she made it through. The certification process is akin to that of a lawyer preparing to take the bar...not easy. The applicants prepare extensive portfolios related to their field of expertise and are assessed on their current teaching methods, as well as their comprehension and expertise on those subjects as evaluated by their responses to a series of exercises.

The interesting, and probably most valuable takeaway of this process is the requirement that a candidate’s lesson plans make an impact outside of the classroom. My mom described this as throwing a pebble into a still pond. “Every lesson should have a ripple effect in which the lesson’s content of experience affects not just the student in that classroom, but also involves other teachers, and extends into the community at large, as the content of the lesson also exists in the context of the community.”

Teachers voluntarily undergo huge self assessments and practice their craft looking for ways to expand knowledge and critically assess their strengths and weaknesses. Teachers are improving the quality of their teaching to produce a superior learning environment that consistently supports the student’s knowledge.

This process is a great parallel for start-up businesses/entrepreneurs who are essentially doing the same thing—consistently reevaluating their craft, their expertise, and their impact (in their case, profitability and number of items sold to community). Starting something new is tricky and the New Hanover County teachers really took a risk to do this. Achieving national board certification is in a way being the ultimate entrepreneur.

This intense self-examination and performance appraisal process should be widely encouraged across the region, state, and nation. We should be proud that New Hanover County has produced such a high number of recipients as this marks an important achievement for our school system, and an important milestone in terms of community and economic development.

See the following link for StarNews article:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101221/ARTICLES/101229948/1177?Title=New-Hanover-County-teachers-rank-high-in-NC-nation

Peeling Back the Layers

In his fight against the joke-slaying villain, Batman said: "The Riddler's mind is like an artichoke. You have to rip off spiny leaves to reach the heart!" Now that is strategic crime-fighting.

While the Cape Fear Future Leadership team isn’t unraveling brain teasers, they are actively pealing back those layers that are the primary causes of crime in downtown Wilmington, as the issue has garnered the attention of several community groups.
CFF chose to first concentrate on crime because it is a secondary issue associated with one of the main initiatives under CFF’s Quality of Life Task Force: promoting a vibrant downtown. Research overwhelming shows that a strong downtown is fundamental to the strength and vibrancy of an area’s regional economy; therefore, the task force wanted to solicit feedback from community members on those issues most pressing in terms of downtown revitalization. At the Cape Fear Future Commission meeting on September 1, attendees unanimously expressed their concern about crime in the central business district.

Since the meeting in September, CFF leaders have hosted and participated in several focus groups and roundtable discussions in an effort to develop a clear understanding of the effects of the problem and the means required to resolve it.

In one roundtable discussion hosted by PPD’s CEO General David Grange, attendees heard about the General’s experience with tackling crime through his work at the McCormick Foundation in Chicago. General Grange explained how violence is inextricably linked to civic health. Again, the idea of peeling back the layers surfaced as General Grange suggested our community “look below the water line” and identify the root causes of the issue.

So what do we see when we look below the water line? The most prevalent concern is the surplus of bars in the area. Compared to most cities, the density of bars in Wilmington is overwhelmingly disproportionate to the geographic zone of the CBD. Because those bars close at the same time, weekend party-goers exit onto the streets en masse, many intoxicated. Fighting and assaults often result.

It is not fair to solely blame the bar owners, property owners, bar-patrons or the police. It is fair to say, however, that there is a dangerous concoction at work: numerous bars, high number of college students, and the proximity in which all these dynamics take place is (about 12 blocks: Red Cross to Castle Street). But there may be strategies available that can help reduce the incidents of crime during these hours. The Department of Justice suggests two specific responses to reducing assaults in and around bars: the first recommendation is to implement responses to reduce how much alcohol patrons drink, thereby reducing aggression and vulnerability to assault; and implement responses to make bars safer, regardless of how much alcohol patrons consume.

What is the next step? CFF has been approached by several groups to aid efforts in exploring long-term options that include collaboration and policy development. CFF plans to act as a supporting unit and assist both community groups and local representatives in creating crime prevention strategies and policies that lead to long-term community success against crime.

Unpave Paradise…and Put Up a Park

Enhancing quality of life can encompass improving education, developing the arts, stimulating local business creation, or improving the physical amenities of an area…just to name a few. But one idea that has taken off across the globe is the creation of green space. In an effort to attract and retain residents and skilled workers, cities are using parks and open space to leverage investment into their local economies.

In the 1980s, Chattanooga, Tennessee suffered an economic recession due to the closing and relocation of factories…not to mention the area was wrought with air pollution from towering smoke stacks. Due to the increasing unemployment rates and the declining quality of life, residents were quickly moving elsewhere. As a result, the local government, businesses, and community groups came together to explore ways in which they could improve Chattanooga’s quality of life. They decided to purchase land for parks and open space, and, as a result, things began to turn around.

In their case study of Chattanooga, the Trust for Public Land found: “the environmentally progressive redevelopment of Chattanooga’s downtown riverfront [there is a 75-mile network of greenways and trails located along river] involved $356 million in public and private investment. In eight years between 1988 and 1996 the number of businesses and full-time jobs in the district more than doubled, and assessed property values went up over $11 million, an increase of 127.5 %. Over the same period, the annual combined city and county property tax revenues [in the downtown riverfront area] went up $592,000, an increase of 99%.”

Chattanooga’s success is one of many. People want to live in areas that are adorned with open space and that are visually appealing. Countless studies have shown that corporate CEOs and small company owners alike equate parks/open space (ie. quality of life) as the highest priority for choosing a new location for their business.

The Cape Fear Future Quality of Life Team understands this rationale and is currently exploring/supporting efforts to create green space. Other efforts are also already underway: the newly sworn-in New Hanover County commissioners wasted no time, voting unanimously to purchase approximately 63 acres near Castle Hayne Park in an effort to create a multi-use park. In their list of prioritized initiatives, the Vision 2020 Committee has also endorsed ways in which we can create more waterfront parks and green corridors.

There are, however, other “green” projects that improve an area’s quality of life. While traveling in Europe this summer, I had the fortune of seeing multiple projects that were pioneering, creative, progressive, and downright sensible. There were few new large-scale development projects, but instead, revitalization and improvement efforts that enhanced the unique infrastructure already in place. For instance, the European Environmental Agency in Copenhagen launched their “Europe in Bloom” campaign which built on the concept of façade improvements- a brilliant idea. The project puts a twist on the traditional ideas of green space, gardens, and external building improvements. Several agencies came together in Copenhagen and designed a vertical garden, the first outdoor green façade in Denmark. It serves multiple purposes: acts as a home for animals, produces food, insulates buildings, absorbs urban noise, reduces dust (improving air quality), and improves the overall aesthetics of the area (see the link below for photographs and more detail).

The European Environmental Agency explains: “The EEA Living Façade wants to illustrate the significance of vertical gardens as urban green areas. These areas represent a backbone for human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services in cities. For most urban dwellers, the perception of "greenery" in or nearby their cities is an integral part of what constitutes the 'quality of life'.”

In closing, the acquisition of land and redevelopment projects like the aforementioned are not always feasible… in large part this is a result of the current economic state and reduced budgets. But it is important to remember that conservation and open space have overwhelmingly proved to have incredible return on investment. If we want to improve the quality of life in the Cape Fear Region we must formulate strategies that are sustainable and innovative, but that represent our regional brand and satisfy the community as a whole.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/living-facade

An Entrepreneurial Economy

In case you haven’t heard, entrepreneurship is all the rage…and should be.

In a recent opinion column published in the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, Jonathan Rowe, the Director of the UNCW Entrepreneurship Center, stated the importance of entrepreneurship: “For Southeastern North Carolina, 73 percent of our registered businesses have less than ten employees and, according to the North Carolina Division of Labor, 60 percent to 80 percent of new jobs each year come from companies with less than 25 employees or less than five years old.” These statistics clearly encapsulate the need for entrepreneurs and startups in our region; they also mean we, as a community, must provide the proper training, education and support to ensure their emergence and fruition.

If you decide to start your own business, no one is going to hand you a blueprint that will determine the roadmap for success. There are however, a few characteristics that set successful entrepreneurs aside from the rest.

Entrepreneurs must be innovative, committed, determined, passionate, and have an ability to understand their target market and why that market must have their product…oh yeah, and successful entrepreneurs need a little financial capital too.

The News and Observer recently published a report on a Duke Alum who demonstrated such tenacious entrepreneurial spirit. A novice at Microsoft, Kimberly Jenkins went to her boss with what she thought was one heck of a pitch—sell Microsoft products to Universities. Steve Ballmer, CEO, ran the idea up the ladder to Bill Gates; neither was taken with the idea but decided to let her go with it…the N&O reports “Within a year, Microsoft’s new educational products division was responsible for 10% of the company’s domestic revenue”. Jenkins is a beautiful exemplar of someone with determination and passion, and who decided to take a risk because she knew what market to target.

We hear countless stories about entrepreneurs, young and old, who have launched successful start-ups across our region…and most of these start-ups are smaller in scale, with the occasional emergence of a Fred Eshelman—an incredible story of an entrepreneur who established a start up that blossomed into a high-growth company called PPD, with offices in 42 countries and more than 10,500 professionals worldwide. We need more of those types, and we may be on our way.

Universities across the state are already realizing the importance of entrepreneurial activity to the regional and global economy. The UNCW E-Center is growing at an incredible pace, offering mentorship, competitions, regular networking events, education, and even real financial capital. Efforts are underway at both Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill to invest in interdisciplinary entrepreneurial education (see News and Observer article link below), but efforts must go beyond just educational programs. Our region must first understand the importance of entrepreneurship and what resources are needed to foster such an environment.

Peter Drucker, the renowned business management guru and philosopher said: “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. Now is the time. Let us create a prosperous future, a creative future, a future that will buzz with economic wealth and a better quality of life.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/11/29/831964/duke-alumna-is-hunting-good-ideas.html#storylink=misearch

Jobless Need Technical Expertise to Re-enter Workforce

In today’s evolving workforce, there is an increasing demand for technical and computer expertise.

AP Economics writer Christopher Rugaber has reported that in the midst of financial crisis, many retirees and aging employees are finding the need to return to work, but many are not able to compete because the jobs they once knew so well are now relying on technical skills that were not needed before. People are beginning to discover they cannot even qualify for their old positions. Unfortunately, this further hinders the staggering unemployment rate across the country. As most employers are looking for a specific skill set, they are not turning to the unemployed/formerly employed sector, but rather those individuals already employed who are already equipped with the skills they need.

The competition to obtain a job in general is compounded by the fact that most manufacturing industries (where much of the retired workforce has experience) now require two skill sets: business analysis and system analysis. Christopher Rugaber of the Associated Press, reports this trend is a result of companies’ decision to control costs during the recession. The goal is to hire fewer people with varied skills which in turn maintains or increases productivity.

Rugaber reports, “Human resource specialists say employers who increasingly need multi-skilled employees aren’t willing to settle for less. They’d rather wait and hold jobs vacant”.

This is one of the issues that Cape Fear Future will help to address. The skills gap is growing in today’s workforce and it is important to push forward those training and educational programs necessary in addressing the needs of employers. Cape Fear Future is exploring STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs to be implemented in the New Hanover County School System that may better prepare the upcoming workforce. Moreover, to assess the needs of local employers, the Cape Fear Future Education Task Force has distributed surveys asking employers the current educational/technical expertise needed in their field, the current performance/proficiency of their employers, and those demands they expect from future applicants. This survey will allow a closer look at the needs and expectations of our recent graduates, and our current and future workforce.

Click here to read Christopher Rugaber’s full article.