Organizational example:

Name

Memphis 2005
Memphis Regional Chamber and Memphis Office of Planning and Development
Memphis, TN

Program Purpose

To create and sustain a skilled workforce so that the Memphis-area business community can remain globally competitive while providing jobs for local residents.

Program Description

The Memphis Regional Chamber and the Memphis Office of Planning and Development worked together to create Memphis 2005, a $15 million, 10-year economic development plan for the Memphis/Shelby County Metropolitan Statistical Area, with workforce development as one of four main goals. It was designed to improve business recruitment, minority business development, workforce development, and physical infrastructure.

The chamber and the city’s Office of Planning and Development convened local businesses to discuss the link between the companies’ business interests and workforce development. The chamber then recruited more than 300 employers in a new partnership for ongoing discussions about workforce development needs. The partnership identified seven industries for which to develop industry-specific training through local high schools and community colleges. (Jobs for the Future, 2001)

Progress

At the end of the 10-year initiative in 2005, Memphis 2005 reports:

• Over $13 billion in private capital investments (the most in Tennessee) in the metro region.
• A drop in poverty rates of more than two percentage points (12,000 people), a decrease greater than the national average.
• Steady growth in per capita income, surpassing the national average for the first time.
• Average wages per job of more than $37,800, which is higher than earnings in peer cities Birmingham, Louisville, and Nashville.

Contact Information

Melissa Rivers
Memphis Regional Chamber
22 N. Front, Suite 200
Memphis, TN 38103
T: 901.543.3500
www.memphischamber.com