Orange County NC Website
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By creating 5,000 new jobs (and working to ensure that at least 75 percent of those jobs are filled <br />by county residents) and encouraging new investments in commercial property, the EDC can <br />begin to address some of the challenges. Further, we need to make sure that county residents are <br />able to move into the new jobs. And we need to help stop the leakage of retail sales dollars out <br />of the county. <br />Workgroups: Coming out of the Economic Summit in January 2004, participants identified <br />four areas that needed work: <br />1) Improved Business Climate (to enable businesses to create the needed jobs) <br />2) Infrastructure (to ensure that businesses can flourish) <br />3) Workforce Development (to make sure workers have the skills needed to assume the <br />new jobs) <br />4) Quality of Place (to ensure that Orange County remains a great place to live and <br />work) <br />Volunteer workgroups formed around each of these areas, and they have developed goal <br />statements as follows: <br />Business Climate: By June 2009, public - private partnerships will have formed to create a <br />stronger business climate and Orange County will have a clear set of guidelines and regulatory <br />standards designed to sustain and nurture existing businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, and <br />attract targeted employers. <br />Infrastructure: By June 2009, infrastructure will be in place to support the county's economic <br />development goals of increasing the commercial tax base and retaining and attracting targeted <br />businesses. <br />Workforce Development: By June 2009, effective systems will be in place to train and support <br />residents and those who work in Orange County. At least 75 percent of all new jobs in the <br />county (for both new and expanding businesses) will be filled by county residents. <br />Quality of Place: By June 2009, Orange County will have thriving partnerships ensuring that <br />the county is a great place in which to live and work, attracting and retaining the creative <br />community of innovators, artists and civic leaders that will drive the desired economy. <br />M <br />