Talent 2025 Promising Practices Research
Evansville Regional Business Committee
Economic Strategy
The Evansville Regional Business Committee (ERBC) is a coalition of public and private partners formed to improve and promote the business and commercial climate in the Evansville, Indiana region. It leads the region’s Talent 2025 Initiative, designed to align resources and make Southwest Indiana the talent and economic region of choice in the Midwest.
An initial economic analysis of Southwest Indiana revealed that while the region is performing well in some areas, significant challenges remain that hinder its future prosperity. In response, the Talent 2025 Initiative developed five workstreams, established measurable goals and clear objectives for each, and engaged Fourth Economy Consulting to identify promising practices across the country. These practices would inform the development of strategies related to wage and population growth, poverty, educational attainment, and health.
Our Approach
Using the shared economic analysis data and client context-setting calls to establish a research framework, the Fourth Economy team leveraged various resources to identify promising practices. These resources included desktop research, an existing practice library, and experienced national partner networks. The preliminary list of promising practices was vetted in sessions with workstream participants and prioritized to three or four for further research and one-on-one interviews with practice leaders.
The Results
Fourth Economy submitted a report on fifteen promising practices in the areas of educational attainment, health, population growth, employment and wages, and poverty. Each practice included a thorough analysis of its origin, goals, and outcomes, as well as its organization, funding, and community engagement models. Additional context within the report highlighted common themes and recommendations that the Talent 2025 Initiative can deploy as it transitions from issue identification to strategy development.
Location
Evansville, IN