CREC Awarded Grant from Ascendium Education Group for Regional Data Connections
The Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) has been awarded a grant from Ascendium Education Group. Through this investment, CREC, in partnership with the LMI Institute and PMP, is advancing Regional Data Connections — our effort to build the data backbone that supports stronger workforce systems and regional competitiveness. The grant will support a three-year initiative to expand and improve regional employment projections, ensuring that workforce boards, community colleges, and public agencies have the forward-looking intelligence they need to guide education and workforce decisions.
“This initiative helps build sustainable public data infrastructure and analytic capacity that better reflects local labor market realities. These tools help community colleges, workforce boards, and public leaders understand what jobs are growing in their areas. When leaders have clear, local job data, they can make smarter choices about training programs and public funding,” said Dr. Kenneth Poole, LMI Institute Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, CREC.
This funding builds on prior support from the Lumina Foundation for Expanding Access to Substate Employment Projections for State Workforce Boards, Gates Foundation for Mobilizing Data for Talent Development, and USDOL Employment and Training Administration support for state-based employment projections. The Ascendium investment, in particular, allows CREC to strengthen access to high-quality, localized labor-market data nationwide, equipping decision-makers with actionable, regionally relevant insights and laying the groundwork for better workforce strategies and stronger economic mobility pathways.
Applications are Now Open for the Regional Data Connections Cohort
Across the country, workforce boards and practitioners depend on high-quality labor market data to make informed decisions — from guiding training investments to aligning education programs with the jobs employers actually need. But while many states generate sub-state labor market projections, accessibility and usability can vary widely. The result? Valuable data often remains out of reach for those who need it most.
We are launching a six-month technical assistance cohort designed to change that. This initiative helps states and regions strengthen the ways they produce, share, and apply localized labor market information — making it more actionable, transparent, and connected to real-world decision-making.
If you are state LMI office or regional workforce board, and you are ready to work on advancing how sub-state projections and workforce data are used to shape policy and programs, this is for you.
Click here for Application Details and Requirements.
Click here for Application
Timeline and Key Dates
- Application Deadline: April 10, 2026
- Selection Announcement: May 5, 2026
- Program Timeline: June – December, 2026
- In-Person Convening: July 15 – 16, 2026 – PLEASE NOTE, this is updated
What You Will Gain
Over the six-months of this hands-on experience, each team will work collaboratively to:
- Strengthen partnerships between state LMI agencies and workforce boards
- Improve communication and alignment across state and local systems
- Advance sub-state projection methodologies
- Develop shared templates, tools, and guidance with value beyond a single state
To make this work practical and impactful, the CREC/LMI team will provide:
- Monthly technical assistance meetings including an on-site facilitator visit to your state
- A two-day convening in Washington D.C. to connect with peers and collaborate in person
- Access to subject matter experts through webinars tailored to participant interests
Regional Data Connections cohort is more than a training series — it’s a collaborative investment in how we understand and use labor market data to build stronger, more responsive workforce systems.
Click here for Application Details and Requirements.
Click here for Application.