North Carolina Triad Area Gets Workforce Innovation Grant

It seems that getting "Wired" may provide an extra spark toward local efforts to foster a creativity cluster as an economic engine in the Triad.

The recent award to the Triad of a $15 million U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (Wired) grant comes as area business leaders are working to promote growth and develop connections among regional creative businesses.

"What we have (with this grant) is the opportunity to staff an industry roundtable focused on the arts. This is a key starting point to finding how to grow the (cluster) as an economic engine in the Triad," says Don Kirkman, CEO of the Piedmont Triad Partnership, which was awarded the grant.

He says the grant will bring together private-sector representatives from the creative and artistic community as well as educators from K-12 through the university level in an effort to enhance the profile of the Triad as a creative and innovative region.

More here.