RTS is beginning work on a couple of new projects that stress our belief in the interconnection between workforce and economic development.  For the Golden Leaf Foundation, we are looking at the aerospace industry in North Carolina.  We will provide an overview of the aerospace manufacturing environment and technologies, types of jobs in this industry cluster, knowledge and skills employees need and an assessment of the aerospace job market in the state.  The ultimate goal of the study is offer the Foundation and its partners the necessary information and analysis to develop a comprehensive strategic plan aimed at ensuring that this industry will thrive and produce good, high paying jobs now and into the future.  While the aerospace cluster is a growing one in the state, we are also looking at a traditional industry in our work with the Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group of Pennsylvania. For AHUG, we are identifying careers in the forest products industry and how workers can be better prepared not only to enter the workforce, but also build careers in the industry.  You can read more about these two projects and others we are working on by going to the Current Projects section.

Our latest edition of CraftNet Sketches has arrived.  Sketches is our way to keep you up to date on the goings-on of CraftNet, a network of community college’s who are collaborating together to create innovative approaches to using artisan-based strengths as a way to foster economic development.  In this issue of Sketches, we highlight Berea College’s E-Commerce program that is helping student artists find a new marketplace for their work. We also focus on the upcoming Craft Organization Development Association annual meeting in St. Paul, which will feature the public debut of CraftNet’s E-Commerce Curriculum.  We also use this issue of Sketches to welcome CraftNet’s newest member Flathead Valley Community College located in Kalispell, Montana.  You can read all about CraftNet and download past issues of Sketches here.

Stuart Rosenfeld traveled to Denver recently to make a series of presentations relating to our work on Colorado’s creative economy.  Stuart gave the keynote speech at the annual Cultural Forum, which this year was entitled “Avancing Colorado’s Creative Economy.”  Our report to the Arts Council of Colorado that we worked as part of the Alliance for Creative Advantage will be released in January.