Fall Economic Briefing

You are invited to attend the Fall Economic Briefing hosted by the
the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan City Area Chamber of Commerce and Purdue University North Central on Tuesday, October 28, 2014.

Economic Outlook – Derek Bjonback, Associate Professor of Economics, Purdue University North Central

• Recent trends in national economic growth
• Short term forecasts for 2014
• La Porte County trends 2009 to present – employment by sector (manufacturing, trade)
• Compare La Porte County employment trends to Indiana and nation.
• The changing economic base of La Porte County since 2008.  Changing composition of  industries that continue to be the drivers of overall economy – agriculture, manufacturing, construction, retail and accommodation (gambling and tourism)

• Labor Market conditions for La Porte County and the region
• Workforce composition and industry demands
• Summary of initiatives that are working to overcome workforce challenges

• Results of a survey of La Porte County manufacturing companies – education and technical skill requirements for the workforce, in key areas such as industry certifications, and specific skill sets such CNC programming and operations.
• Existing programs that meet these needs, and priority areas for program development