Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute will offer two courses next month approved by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as qualifying for the highly sought-after Level Two recertification credits for Certified Economic Developers (CEcDs). The courses – How to Conduct Business Intelligence to Gain a Competitive Advantage and How to Conduct Performance Tracking to Demonstrate ROI – will be held on July 20 and 21 in Atlanta, Georgia and are part of Georgia Tech’s new “Tools of the Trade” series.
“These courses will contribute to the continued growth of knowledge within the economic development profession,” said Jeffrey A. Finkle, CEcD, president and CEO of the International Economic Development Council. “Providing practitioners with access to information is consistent with our mission.”
The July 20 class – How to Conduct Business Intelligence to Gain a Competitive Advantage – will help participants learn how to conduct basic business intelligence research to gather a wide variety of information about companies, their competitors and the total business environment. Market and industry trends, environmental conditions and legal and regulatory issues will be discussed.
In How to Conduct Performance Tracking to Demonstrate ROI on July 21, participants will learn how to manage their economic development programs more effectively and how to maintain public support by demonstrating that their program is results-oriented. Leading-edge economic development organizations measure their progress in meeting strategic goals and objectives, gather and analyze performance data and use that information to translate strategy into action.
The design for these courses was based on findings from a 2009 survey on professional development courses for economic development in which more than 60 percent of the respondents identified these two topic areas as areas of interest.
“For more than 40 years, Georgia Tech has served economic development leaders through professional development offerings,” said Joy Wilkins, CEcD, manager of community innovation services at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute. “We are honored to continue this commitment with these new courses. Our goal is to bring in thought leaders for the economic development profession on key strategic matters.”
The CEcD program is the leading industry designation administered by IEDC – the world’s largest membership organization serving the economic development profession – and demonstrates a breadth of knowledge to perform at the top level in the profession. CEcDs must reapply for recertification every three years by participating in professional development events, such as these Georgia Tech courses, and by contributing to the growth of the profession.
To register or to learn about Georgia Tech’s full menu of economic development course offerings, including IEDC courses which count toward the certification and recertification of economic developers, go to http://www.pe.gatech.edu/subjects/economic-development.
For more information, contact course administrator Hortense Jackson (229-430-4327); e-mail: (hortense.jackson@innovate.gatech.edu) or Joy Wilkins, CEcD (404-895-6115); e-mail: (joy.wilkins@innovate.gatech.edu).
About Enterprise Innovation Institute:
The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute helps companies, entrepreneurs, economic developers and communities improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. It is one of the most comprehensive university-based programs of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization and economic development in the nation.
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Media Relations Contact: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail (john.toon@innovate.gatech.edu).
Writer: Nancy Fullbright