yuma-county-action-plan.html

        <!--<h3 id="c131">13.1 Action Plan</h3>
        <p>
            <strong>Goal 1:</strong> Increase the effective pairing of workers and employers in the District region; a large, well trained, and well-prepared workforce could be one of the most attractive assets of this region. 
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        <p>
            <strong>Goal 2:</strong> Fully enable residents of the District region to reach their maximum potential. Thoroughly preparing children for productive work in the <em>economy-of-the-future</em> is a regional priority. 
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            <strong>Goal 3:</strong> Identify and safeguard developable sites for current development needs; preserve and 'groom' developable sites for future development needs. 
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            <strong>Goal 4:</strong> Maximize the ability of local governments to meet current and future municipal infrastructure needs cost-effectively and sustainably; educate taxpayers and residents about the infrastructure maintenance costs and benefits. 
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            <strong>Goal 5:</strong> Reduce transportation costs and increase transportation efficiency within the District region for all transportation modes.
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            <strong>Goal 6:</strong> Maximize quality of life and livability for residents and visitors to the District region.
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            <strong>Goal 7:</strong> Support sustainability and environmental awareness in La Paz, Mohave, and Yuma counties, mainly where local action would be beneficial. 
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            <strong>Goal 8:</strong> Encourage rural communities to maximize the benefits of broadband Internet investment while minimizing the costs and negative externalities borne by the municipalities.
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        <h6><a href="ceds.html">Return to CEDS</a></h6>
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        <h3 id="c132">13.2 Strategic Projects, Programs, & Activities</h3>
        <p>
            The section of the CEDS identifies regional projects, programs, and activities designed to implement the Goals and Objectives of the CEDS.
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        <h5>13.2.1 Strategic Objectives</h5>
        <p>
            Critical economic development <em>rallying issues</em> for the District include:
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        <p>A. <strong>Refine identity and develop a brand</strong></p>
        <p>
            Refine the region's identity to reflect its unique geographically distinct characteristics, including integrating the <em>amenity</em> components of the region, generally of primary interest to the tourism cluster, and <em>hard</em> economics components - employment structure, workforce composition, etc. - of direct interest to employers. In this sense, this strategy focuses on developing an integrated/coordinated brand, which different groups can individualize for their specific messages/audiences.
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            <strong>Key Implementation Issue&#40;s&#41;.</strong> Several organizations in the District have completed &#40;or are currently discussing&#41; marketing and branding efforts. These include GYEDC, YVB, AWC, Yuma Crossing Heritage Area, and YRMC. These efforts have tended to be separate initiatives focused on the specific audiences of individual organizations. This fragmentation can result in inconsistent messages about Yuma's identity. The timing of the Summit Action Plan is excellent in that it provides a framework for supporting the development of an integrated/coordinated brand, which different organizations can individualize for their specific audiences and purposes. The current budgets devoted to the individual efforts may provide a funding resource for the collaborative initiative, with the joint effort potentially being more cost-effective overall.
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        <p>B. <strong>Business incubator</strong></p>
        <p>
            Provide input for the design and operation, and support the development of a business/industry incubator, in coordination with WAEDD.
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        <p>
            <strong>Key Implementation Issue&#40;s&#41;.</strong> Implementation of the incubator initiative is being spearheaded by the Western Arizona Economic Development District &#40;WAEDD&#41;. WAEDD is successfully cultivating a community &#40;i.e., prospective tenants -mostly local engineers&#41; for the incubator and securing funding for the project. The incubator concept is being included in the Summit Action Plan to ensure that:
            <ul>
                <li>&#40;a&#41; the resource represented by a viable incubator is fully leveraged to support progress on other Action Plan strategies, and;</li>
                <li>&#40;b&#41; the success of the incubator is enhanced through direct linkages with other relevant programs and initiatives addressed in the Action Plan.</li>
            </ul>
        <p>C. <strong>High-tech cluster</strong></p>
        <p>
            Re-visit consideration of the concept &#40;from 2001&#41; creating a <em>high-tech cluster</em> in Yuma to highlight high-tech linkages among many local industries, provide a forum for exchanging information and ideas regarding emerging technology, give tech workers a broader sense of community, and raise the high-tech profile of Yuma and its &#40;proposed&#41; business incubator.
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            <strong>Key Implementation Issue&#40;s&#41;.</strong> Yuma has a broad range of existing institutions and activities with high-tech implications or potentials. These include, for example, MCAS, YPG/ General Motors, the YPIC WIRED program, YRMC, the AWC solar initiative, ICE, YMA, NextGen, and the Joint Technological Education District &#40;JTED&#41;. 
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        <p>
            Historically, two critical impediments to attracting high-tech activities to Yuma have been the relatively small tech workers pool and the limited options for pursuing technical education &#40;e.g., engineering locally&#41;. AWC's ongoing efforts to expand local degree options are considered a <em>lynchpin</em> in the overall high-tech strategy.
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            Another critical role that the Summit Action Plan can have in developing the high-tech cluster will be to provide a systematic framework for the Summit Partners to collectively and proactively identify opportunities for leveraging Yuma's high-tech foundations. In this regard, the high-tech cluster strategy will be carefully coordinated with related efforts. Existing &#40;and possibly inactive&#41; professional organizations related to high-tech activities &#40;e.g., engineering association, IT association, etc.&#41; should be included in implementing this strategy.
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        <p>D. <strong>Green industries</strong></p>
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            Investigate the potential for leveraging the region's targeting of solar sectors to encourage the development of other <em>green industries</em>, a growing segment of the economy &#40;at least poised for growth&#41; that also tends to fit well with the region's natural attributes.
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            <strong>Key Implementation Issue&#40;s&#41;.</strong> GYEDC's solar recruitment program's success and the recent announcement of AWC's solar initiative effectively position Yuma as a national leader in solar-related economic development. As part of the Action Plan, the Summit Partners should proactively monitor and pursue opportunities to fully develop the solar cluster and expand the focus to other high growth <em>green industries</em>.
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            The growing interest nationally in <em>energy audits</em> may be a potential niche market for Yuma. The potential for an AWC engineering program specializing in solar technologies &#40;a one-of-a-kind program in the U.S.&#41; would be a game-changer for Yuma.
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        <p>Source: Yuma County Workforce and Economic Development Action Plan
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