The N.C. Economic Development Board approved a 10-year strategic plan on Jan. 24 that is designed to serve as a guide for economic growth and activities across the state. The Economic Development Board has been meeting since July 2013 in various work groups to develop the strategic plan. In addition, N.C. Commerce Sec. Sharon Decker conducted a Listening Tour across the state and gathered input from more than 2,000 economic development professionals, business leaders and citizens through surveys and town meetings.
The plan includes recommendations in Targeting Clusters and Branding; Business Climate; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Talent and Retiree Attraction; Education and Workforce Development; Rural Prosperity; Community Development; and Delivery of Services and Metrics.
The next steps for the plan include the development of an action matrix that will assign responsibility, estimate resource needs, build a timeline and define the metrics of success. The strategic plan will serve as the road map for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the Department of Commerce and the wide array of partners in the state focused on job creation and economic growth.