November 11-18, 2012 | Bonn, Dortmund, and Stuttgart, Germany

The third year of GMF’s Cities in Transition project (2012-13) examined how cities (and regions) are developing strategic links between economic development goals and education, workforce, and skill development policies.  This concept of the “Educonomy” is illustrated in several cities and regions in Europe that have faced similar economic restructuring challenges as the CIT cities. By operating a coordinated, aligned system, many of these cities have had success in maintaining core industries while diversifying into new economic sectors that leverage assets and core competencies. 

From November 11-18, 2012, GMF organized a study tour for 14 delegates from Flint, Detroit, Cleveland, Youngstown, and Pittsburgh to Bonn, Dortmund, and Stuttgart, Germany. In each city, delegates will examine examples of the European “Educonomy” alignment, focusing on themes such as the following:

• Coordinated Planning & Strategic Partnerships:  What policies are in place to align economic development and workforce development goals at the city and regional levels?  How have cities and regions effectively collaborated with employers, industry associations, and educational institutions to implement these goals? 
• Dynamic Systems:  What are the feedback loops that allow for data-driven decision-making by cities, regions, employers, and educational institutions?
• Career Pathways:  How is the “Educonomy” alignment working to create career pathways?
• Learning by Doing: What elements of German vocational education and training (VET) systems are relevant to the national and state level policy discussion in the US? How are cities using a national policy to meet local goals? 

 Materials and Media

Trip Materials:

• Study Tour Agenda – Year Three
• Delegate Biographies – Year Three
• Framing Paper – Linda Fowler, Senior GMF Fellow
• Briefing Book – Year Three