Kristi Lumpkin
Executive Director
Acadiana Economic Development
Lafayette, Louisiana
The workforce shortage is a growing concern for economic development groups across the country, but Acadiana Economic Development (AED) is working on an innovative solution. It’s using EMSI’s analysis tool, Strategic Advantage, to help workers in declining or slow-growth industries transfer into fast-growing, high-wage industries. Traditionally, this framework is used in Rapid Response situations when workers are displaced due to workforce cutbacks, but AED is hoping its plan will be a proactive workforce solution for both the workers and businesses in their region. Kristi Lumpkin, Executive Director at AED, says “Strategic Advantage has given us the ability to see the compatibility between occupations across all industries, which helps us form career ladders for our regional workforce. Strategic Advantage has enabled us to see the big picture and stay ahead of the game.”