Initiatives
The IBRC works on a number of national, state and local projects and ongoing programs. Here you'll find a collection of some of recent joint activities:
Information for Indiana
In partnership with the Governor's office and funding and guidance from the Lilly Endowment, the IBRC continues this effort to enhance the quanity and quality of data available to Hoosiers. Working closely with state agencies, the Information for Indiana initiative aims to improve the collection, quality and dissemination of data gathered by the agencies to better inform effective policy and decision making in Indiana.
The Indiana Gateway for Government Units is part of this initiative and provides a central portal for local governments to submit forms to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance and the State Board of Accounts.
Indiana's Daily Economic Digest
The Indiana Economic Digest is a daily compendium of news from Indiana's newspapers; we focus on topics hot for development—life sciences, expansions and closings, education, taxes and much more. This service provides instant access to the news behind the numbers. The story index is the power behind this site, which is brought to you by the Realtors of Indiana, the Indiana Business Research Center and the Hoosier State Press Association.
Indiana's Census 2010
The Indiana Census 2010 website provided information relevant to the communities and residents of Indiana during the planning and implementation phases of Census 2010.
Innovation in American Regions
The IBRC and the Purdue Center for Regional Development conducted a wide-reaching study creating practical tools and frameworks to guide regional economic development strategy and decision making.
A website makes the latest research on innovation and rural development available on geographic areas nationwide and includes the Innovation Index and Occupation and Industry cluster analyses. All of this is available in an easy-to-use format. Support was provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, with contributions from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Indiana Workforce Intelligence System (IWIS)
The Indiana Workforce Intelligence System arose in response to parallel needs and goals underlying a number of adult education and workforce initiatives originating in various Indiana agencies and organizations.
IWIS is modeled after the nationally recognized Florida Education and Training Placement Information Program, a data collection and reporting system to provide follow-up data on former students, with comprehensive outcome information for Florida’s education, workforce development and social services programs.
IWIS has received support from the Lilly Endowment, the Joyce Foundation and currently the Lumina Foundation. Partners include the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Commission for Higher Education, the Indiana Department of Education, and the Indiana Business Research Center.
Driving Change: Greening the Automotive Workforce
The IBRC partnered with the labor market information offices, state workforce investment boards, and other research institutions in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio for the Driving Change Project, a consortium to analyze issues related to the restructuring of the auto industry in the tri-state area. The consortium worked with strategic partners in industry and government, and leveraged university expertise to analyze the specific nature of the auto industry transformation and the skills relevant to efficient and renewable vehicle technologies and other career opportunities in the green economy. It was funded by the U.S. Employment and Training Administration.
Indiana Properties Database
Partnering with the Indiana Economic Development Association and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, the IBRC developed and managed the Indiana Properties database to help site locators around the world locate available industrial sites and buildings throughout Indiana. An interactive response-management feature was also included, enabling site locators to follow up on particular properties with the state and local economic development officials. While continuing development of the system has been transferred to another organization, the IBRC maintains and updates the underlying properties database for research purposes.
Indiana State Data Center Program
The Indiana State Data Center (SDC) Program is a federal-state partnership between the U.S. Census Bureau and the State of Indiana. The Business and Industry Data Center portion of the program is managed by the IBRC, while the SDC program is led by the Indiana State Library as part of a state-level collaboration with its coordinating agencies: the Indiana Business Research Center, the Indiana Geographic Information Council and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
This partnership was designed to provide demographic and economic statistics to all sectors of the community, including government agencies, businesses, academia, nonprofit organizations, and private citizens. STATS Indiana is a major provider of census data. The IBRC was a founding partner in the program and also spearheaded the first pilot version of this nationwide program.
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Strategic Skills Initiative
The Strategic Skills Initiative (SSI) addressed Indiana's critical job shortages and aimed to increase opportunities and wages for Hoosier workers. Throughout the state, money was awarded and solutions identified to encourage economic growth and better paying jobs in the state's 11 economic growth regions. Research and data essential to the development and completion of the Strategic Skills Initiative planning and grant documents were provided through a partnership of the Indiana Business Research Center, Workforce Associates, Inc., and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Lake County Government Finance Study
The Indiana Business Research Center, together with the Center for Sustainable Regional Vitality and the Local Government Academy at IU Northwest, researched the effects of market-value-based property tax assessment on the cities, towns and townships of Lake County. The study also examined the cost-effectiveness of local governments in the county. These findings were coupled with 19 recommendations for the residents and governments in Lake County.
