A Digital Skilling Initiative for Economic Growth
Workforce Development is crucial to economic development in a community. Businesses cannot function properly, and the possibility for growth is severely limited, without a skilled and robust workforce. This is one reason why Daniel Castañeda, the Economic Development Specialist for the Ada Jobs Foundation, is enthusiastic about an upcoming project to grow and improve Ada’s workforce. The Ada Jobs Foundation, working with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) and Ascendium, is poised to spearhead a new initiative to improve the digital skills of Ada’s workers.
In his role as the Economic Development Specialist, Castañeda focuses on growing the economy of Ada. His tasks include meeting with businesses and community members to determine overall growth and development needs. He also provides information on local and state incentives and evaluates, identifies, and promotes models that help with economic and community growth. Castañeda explains, “Essentially, my job is to help grow the city by attracting new business, increasing the number of jobs, and helping people enter higher paying jobs.” Workforce development is crucial to every aspect of this mission.
