South By North Strategies, Ltd.

In late 2009 and early 2010, South by North Strategies, Ltd. conducted a review of “demand-driven” workforce development models for the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. This research was part of the Rural Center’s “Rural Community Mobilization Project,” which is funded by federal recovery funds provided through the state Department of Commerce.

The project’s purpose was to help selected rural communities use demand-driven workforce development practices to respond to the recession. To that end, the Rural Center asked South by North Strategies to review existing demand-driven development practices in North Carolina and consult with key practitioners. Specifically, South by North Strategies considered the current economic context, critiqued the  demand-driven workforce development model, profiled several promising strategies, and identified key lessons.