WDC of Seattle-King County and enterpriseSeattle:

WDC of Seattle-King County and enterpriseSeattle:

Washington Economic Development Association 2011 Spring/Summer ConferenceJune 15, 2011

Collaborating for Industry Cluster Analysis and Development

Relationship - Background• Formal Partnership

– Board and executive committee seats– Grant execution and project partnerships– Service delivery to client companies

• Informal Partnership– Information sharing– Board member/community leader sharing– Champion for each other’s mission and organization

Diving Deeper into Our Economy

Opportunity and Challenge:• Puget Sound Regional

Economic Strategy-Prosperity Partnership

A Two-Pronged ApproachProsperity Partnership & the Regional Economic Strategy

PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

NEW REGIONAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY

FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS

• Understand Our Niche Expertise within Industry Clusters• Make Connections with the Companies within those

Niche Clusters• Assist in the Success of these Companies

Diving Deeper: Our Economy

Serving the mission of both organizations

Diving Deeper: Our Economy

Interactive Media Analysis•Convened a sector panel, developed a career map and a plan to meet long-term cluster workforce needs.•Competitive market comparisons for interactive media •Serving the industry: Academy of Interactive Entertainment

Interactive Media Career Map

Fashion and Apparel AnalysisJointly funded analysis identified:•Industry cluster impacts and strengths•Workforce needs and occupations•Emerging trends in apparel technology •Industry cluster recommendations for growth

Diving Deeper: Our Economy

Financial Services Analysis

Jointly funded analysis identifying:•Size and impact of the cluster in our state•Subsectors that make up the cluster•Opportunities to influence industry’s growth•Workforce opportunities and challenges

Diving Deeper: Our Economy

Program Data Results• Interactive Media career map• Strategic market intelligence gathered—we know our value

proposition• Understand gaps between jobseeker skills and employer

needs• Specific recruitment successes (AIE)

How-to and Lessons Learned• Quantitative and qualitative• Analysis, not a study• Look for what makes your economy unique• Bring in other partners to help fund• Hold an event to announce the findings and

generate media attention• Just the beginning

• Data driven• Serving multiple purposes• Leveraging each organization’s strengths

for the benefit of both

The Value of this Collaborative Approach to Understanding our Economy

What Is Next• Prosperity Partnership Update• Industry cluster activity• Industry support• Cross-sector collaboration and skills

evaluation

Contact us!

Marléna Sessions, CEOmsessions@seakingwdc.org

www.seakingwdc.org

Jeff Marcell, President/CEOjmarcell@enterpriseseattle.org

www.enterpriseseattle.org