Eastern Kentucky University will host a workshop on technology-led economic development strategies.
The workshop will be held on Thursday, Aug. 6, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at EKU’s Manchester campus. It will provide participants with strategies and tools to make the most of new broadband technology coming to the region.
Over the next year, eastern Kentucky will receive “middle-mile” fiber broadband infrastructure, which will open the way for new economic opportunities. According to Enrico Moretti’s New Geography of Jobs, “For each new high-tech job in a city, five additional jobs are ultimately created outside of the high-tech sector in that city.”
The workshop will teach participants new strategies to integrate broadband technology as a component of their communities’ economic bases, create new job opportunities and fuel economic growth.
Workshop attendees will learn how to:
· harness the power of broadband technology for economic growth in their communities.
· develop the environment to foster a technology-driven economy.
· design strategies to grow, attract and retain a tech-savvy workforce.
· implement new strategies to leverage the new technology.
· measure the success of new projects and programs.
The workshop is directed at private and public-sector representatives who work in economic development. Public officials, Main Street coordinators and participants from area development districts, business councils, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, entrepreneur-support organizations, higher education institutions and workforce development organizations are encouraged to attend.
The International Economic Development Council is responsible for the event, which is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Kentucky.
The workshop will also be held on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at Gearhart Auditorium on the Prestonsburg campus of Big Sandy Technical College.
Though the workshop’s content is focused on the needs of communities in the Southeastern Kentucky region, registration is open to all regions of the state.
The event is free, but participants must register in advance for either date. For more information or to register, visit www.iedconline.org.