Workforce Innovations in Regional Development (WIRED)

"North Central Indiana is among the leading regions in the country for developing workforce innovations. The region is demonstrating innovative solutions to workforce challenges involving K-12 STEM education, an aging workforce, and connecting university assets to industry and worker needs. I applaud Purdue and its partners for the leadership they are showing."

- Emily DeRocco, Assistant Secretary, United States Department of Labor

Indiana Communities Build Networks for the Future

Indiana, like other states, is facing major pressure from growing global competition. The old ways of responding are inadequate to the challenges ahead. We need dramatically new regional economic and workforce development strategies.

The U.S. Department of Labor challenged a 14-county region in North Central Indiana to become national leaders in meeting these challenges of global competition. Our goal is to find new ways to link and leverage existing local assets and strengthen relationships to benefit an entire region.

Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development – or WIRED - is a three year, $15 million initiative that combines the business, civic and educational resources of 14 north central Indiana counties (Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Wabash, Warren and White) along with the region’s colleges and universities, and other key organizations.

IndianaWIRED – as the project is known in the Hoosier State – has four components:

• Creating Globally Competitive Industries: This effort links university research with advanced manufacturing, advanced materials and agribusiness firms to create clusters of innovation to strengthen the competitive position of Hoosier companies.
• Building an Entrepreneurial Region: The goal here is to develop and grow new business while equipping existing industry with the tools to think and act entrepreneurially. Emerging and existing entrepreneurs – including students – along with community leaders and economic development support organizations collaborate in this effort.
• Developing a Workforce with 21st Century Skills: This two-pronged initiative focuses on both older and younger workers. WIRED is enhancing the skills of older workers so they can remain employable in the future. At the same time they are deploying educational approaches to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines for K-12 students.
• Weaving Supportive Civic Networks: To ensure a region’s viability, we must work across organizational and political boundaries. Those boundaries are irrelevant in a global economy that places an emphasis on entrepreneurship, innovation and high performance.

Learn More:
For a complete list of the Indiana WIRED programs, visit the Web site at www.indiana-wired.net or contact Peggy Hosea at the WIRED office at (765) 236-0955 or by email at phosea@purdue.edu.