Growing the Workforce of the Future
Workers are poised to see unprecedented changes and new opportunities in the coming years - is your community ready?
We help trade organizations, sector-based initiatives, workforce development, and industry partners understand emerging workforce trends including automation, artificial intelligence, retraining, reskilling, and remote work. We help communities understand the labor force pipeline and how to bridge the gap in economic disparities.
Related Services
Target Industry Analysis
Defining Emerging Industries
Talent Attraction and Retention Planning
Workforce Housing Studies
Featured Projects
Workforce Impact Analysis
In recent years, the convergence of information technology, robotics, and automation has led to the development of intelligent automation, which involves the integration of AI and automation technologies. This has led to the creation of more efficient and effective systems that can perform complex tasks with minimal human intervention. The evolution of IT, automation, and AI is expected to continue in the coming years, with new advancements likely to transform various industries and reshape the way we live and work. Fourth Economy partnered with Jobs for the Future to lead a workforce analysis around AI impacts on the future of work across key industries. Read More
Industry Sector Analysis and Economic Development Plan
The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) is a nonprofit that brings together a network of businesses to advance a triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) economy in the Greater Philadelphia Area. SBN wanted to measure the size, scale, and economic impact of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure workforce across Pennsylvania. We engaged with GSI businesses and policy makers to assess the current and historic trends in GSI investments. We also performed desktop research to assess how GSI is impacting other communities throughout the country. Our report demonstrated that through additional investment in GSI, Pennsylvania could reap billions of dollars of economic activity that supports small businesses and create family-sustaining jobs while providing access to well-maintained public spaces, healthy rivers and streams, manage agricultural runoff, and reinforce climate resilience. Read More
Industry Sector Analysis and Strategic Plan
Creating a public-private partnership is essential to developing a strategic direction for Rhode Island’s blue economy. Creating such a partnership aims to bring together the expertise and resources of the public and private sectors to identify and address the unique challenges facing the blue economy. Fourth Economy worked closely with the RI Blue Economy Partnership coalition to engage the public and identify key priority focus areas for the blue economy. Fourth Economy conducted extensive research and analysis, including stakeholder interviews and focus groups (sprint teams), to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the blue economy in Rhode Island. Read More
North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission (NCPRPDC)
NCPRPDC recognized that in order to soundly manage growth and development and improve quality of life at a regional level, the region collectively must understand its current and future housing conditions, as well as unmet housing opportunities and needs. Fourth Economy helped develop the Regional Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study in response, documenting existing housing conditions in the community; identifying market and other forces that affect housing supply and demand, now and projected into the future; identifying gaps or deficiencies in maintaining equitable access to safe, resilient, and reliable housing for all community members; and identifying opportunities for improving and expanding housing options to meet the region’s needs. Read More
Get in Touch
Many of our most interesting projects stem from conversations with communities about where they are and where they want to be. Our specialty is in developing strategies that help communities achieve their goals. If you’d like to delve deeper, reach out! We'd love to connect with you.