Community and Economic Development Training is perfect for teaching how to bridge the gap between the needs of residents, organizations, businesses, and government with communities. We translate government objectives and policies to community residents, through instructor led training that will examine the values, issues, models and policy underling the theory and practice of community economic development (CED). We will begin with an examination of the theoretical and

conceptual framework for CED. Participants will examine the range of economic challenges confronted daily by residents of underserved communities. An examination of the practices, policies and strategies of the CED will be made. The challenges of job creation and retention will be discussed and how they fit within a community revitalization model. 

There will be an overview of strategies such as asset building with individual development accounts, self-employment, and community building with community loan funds. The planning and development of small business ventures will be a core element of the CED strategy. Participants will cover the preparation of business plans, market analysis, financing sources, basic financial statements in business planning and the impact of business development on community needs. Models will be used to diagnose management styles of organization and will include strategic planning, personnel management, and board/staff responsibilities.

A section of Community and Economic Development Training will include micro-enterprise development, which will look at the characteristics of the informal sector businesses that are at the lowest rung of the economic scale. An examination of ways of assisting these income-generating initiatives of the poor will be made. Participants will study ways to design and manage a financial and technical assistance intermediary to provide credit management and organizational assistance to micro-scale economic enterprises.

A final component of Community and Economic Development Training will be housing development. Participants will learn how to analyze the market, develop housing needs assessments, understand site selection and contract processes, create financial feasibility reports, select a development team, understand the methods of obtaining approval from various government entities, how to identify public and private subsidies, and +how to develop the various forms of ownership, including cooperatives and land trusts.