Economic and workforce development issues are interrelated and encompass many other issues important to rural New York: education, poverty, agriculture and land use, and local and regional governance. The changing age and job structure in New York's rural communities are central to the findings of the Rural Vision Project.
One specific focus area for the reinvention of rural regions is innovation and entrepreneurship, which must be supported with collaborative support of government, education, and private sources.
Economic development can be encouraged by improving broadband infrastructure and access, using legislation and redirecting economic development resources; merging services and incentives to communities; and responding to communities' needs for credit through more responsive commercial lending services.
Leaders interviewed for the Rural Vision Project noted several goals for a successful future for the rural economy:
Challenges to economic development include changing demographics and a lack of infrastructure, especially in high-speed telecommunications, public transportation, affordable housing, and access to health care and insurance.
Other concerns include:
The rural workforce encompasses individuals in almost every walk of life. Rural workforce development research focuses most often on migrant farmworkers, rural youth, and individuals with disabilities, because of the specific challenges that these three groups pose and encounter.
The Rural Vision Project recommends that leaders concerned with a successful workforce create an interactive data-based website that connects and services education, business, employees, job seekers, and human services agencies; provide a career readiness certification series for the State; create a consortium of education and training providers able to respond to and develop materials for educational and training needs; and stabilize the workforce by examining immigration proposals and addressing language and cultural barriers between immigrants and local communities.
Leaders interviewed for the Rural Vision Project noted opportunities and research needs for a successful workforce:
The U.S. Census Bureau (2005) reported that 30.1% of rural families had at least one member with a disability, compared to 28.5% of urban families. People whose disabilities make it difficult to drive can face severe limitations in traveling to work and participating in community activities.
The lack of a living wage and underemployment are barriers to establishing or retaining a quality workforce. Underemployment problems are compounded by high costs for housing, transportation, and healthcare/insurance. Additional challenges include: