2nd Annual Workforce Summit

Southeastern and South Central Illinois is welcoming back Ed Morrison from I-Open and Purdue University to assist the region in developing a plan and vision for the economic revitilaization of the region. Having lost 10,000 high paying jobs since 2000, the region is stagnet and not creating high wage jobs. This has supporessed the local economy and many of our counties have flat populations or declining population. Only Effingham has some growth and Coles a minimal growth. With the winds of global competition blowing hard these days, this region needs to begin the process of re-thinking its economy and start growing new business. That is why the Business Solutions program that Eastern Illinois University and the Crossroads Workforce Investment Board are working together with community funders to get the pipeline in place to produce new business. We need the communities help in making this a reality. This is not a donation as much as it is and investment in the future economic vitality and success. We are seeing that we cannot rely on Washington or Springfiled to lend us a hand. It will have to be an reinvestment by our successful businesses in this effort to ensure their current and future success. The lay of the land has changed and we must adapt to survive and grow.