Economic developers ranked workforce development as their top priority in 2025, according to the National League of Cities. At the same time, 21 million prime-age Americans aren’t participating in the labor force, and training programs continue to proliferate without anyone tracking what actually exists.
EcoMap CEO Sherrod Davis joined Golden Shovel Agency President Bethany Quinn to discuss why automation has become core infrastructure for workforce development and how economic developers can use mapping technology to coordinate fragmented systems. Golden Shovel President Bethany Quinn for a discussion on workforce development The conversation covered:
1. How can automation improve workforce ecosystem management?
2. What role should economic developers play in connecting training providers to employer needs?
3. Why does real-time workforce visibility matter more now than ever?
TL;DR: Economic developers need real-time visibility into workforce training programs, employer needs, and skills gaps. Automation centralizes dispersed workforce assets into navigable maps, making it easier to connect job seekers with training opportunities while tracking outcomes for funders. As AI reshapes the workforce, having infrastructure in place to manage rapid changes determines which communities can respond effectively.
“Most economic developers don’t have a real-time view of the training programs or resources that exist within their localities. Part of that is because the workforce data lives in PDFs. It lives in spreadsheets.”
The Visibility Problem
Davis explained the disconnect between growing training opportunities and the ability to track them. “Most economic developers don’t have a real-time view of the training programs or resources that exist within their localities. Part of that is because the workforce data lives in PDFs. It lives in spreadsheets.”
Without centralized systems, economic developers struggle to identify skills gaps by industry, population, or geography. As training programs multiply beyond traditional universities to include micro-credentials, apprenticeships, and employer-led programs, the problem compounds.
Quinn highlighted how quickly things change on the ground. She described a company in Palestine, Texas, that worked with Trinity Valley Community College to develop specialized training for bitcoin mining computer repairs. The program launched to support 350 new hires, creating a micro-credential that other students can now access.
“Sometimes economic developers play a major role in making that happen. Other times, they don’t know it’s happening because huge job, not enough time,” Quinn said.
The World Economic Forum estimates that 40% of employers expect workforce reductions due to automation. McKinsey predicts that 14% of the global workforce will need to switch careers or learn entirely new skills by 2030.
“I think our role at EcoMap is to make sure that we have the infrastructure in place so that our customers and the communities that they support are well equipped to manage and stand resiliently based on what’s coming,” Davis said.
What Ecosystem Mapping Delivers
Davis defined ecosystem mapping as understanding workforce systems as they actually operate rather than as they appear on static websites or outdated PDFs.
Mapping makes fragmented workforce assets visible in one place. It connects training supply to employer demand. It enables coordination across multiple parties that share responsibility for workforce development but operate independently.
EcoMap’s technology continuously monitors information sources within defined geographic areas, identifying new training programs, capturing employer needs, and tracking changes. The platform pulls in data from news articles, press releases, program announcements, and job postings without requiring manual updates.
When those training programs launch and companies announce them through press releases, the technology pulls that information into the data library automatically. Economic developers stay informed about developments they might not have direct involvement in but need to know about for business retention visits or funding proposals.
Economic developers set parameters around coverage area and focus, then the system identifies and tracks relevant resources. Nothing goes public until customers approve it, ensuring local knowledge qualifies the data.
Real Applications
Davis shared examples from Bloomington, Indiana, and Kansas City, where economic developers embedded automated resource libraries directly on their websites. Visitors can filter workforce assets by industry, location, or credential type.
Quinn noted how valuable this could be for K-12 engagement.
“So many of the economic developers that we work with are actively trying to engage their K-12 partners and trying to get the career counselors and teachers to talk to students about credentialing opportunities that they can do within the community rather than necessarily having to leave.”
She pointed out that running talent attraction campaigns is costly and time-consuming, making it often easier to keep the talent communities already have.
Davis described work in the Pacific Northwest with the Center for Black Excellence, which uses ecosystem mapping to connect schools with career pathways and relevant resources based on student interests.
“You should think of EcoMap as the connective tissue between those multiple groups,” Davis said. “They’re trying to identify the career pathways, incorporate relevant resources based on where the student is, what the student is interested in, and ultimately what the student wants to accomplish.”
The same approach works for veterans transitioning from military service or sector-specific industry growth. EcoMap supports the bioscience industry in Virginia and New Mexico by creating digital hubs where people can find out how to engage in those industries.
Quinn emphasized the dual value of sector-focused infrastructure. “That’s also valuable from the workforce attraction perspective as well. You want to go where there’s synergy and momentum. There’s going to be a lot of people hiring and training in your profession. And then of course, business attraction, you want to see the same thing because you want to know there’s an ecosystem to back up the growth of your community.”
Why This Becomes Infrastructure
Davis emphasized that automation functions as infrastructure, not just a convenience tool. As workforce demands shift and training options multiply, communities need systems that adapt without requiring proportional increases in staff capacity.
When mayors rank workforce development as their number one priority above housing and safety, the infrastructure to manage that work matters. Economic developers already coordinate across workforce boards, training providers, employers, education institutions, and community organizations. Adding real-time visibility into what each partner offers and where gaps exist turns coordination from aspiration into operational reality.
“I think of local economic development as a tide that can raise all boats,” Davis said. “If we can bring a more modernized technology stack to bear, we’re always thrilled to be able to do that.”
The communities that build this infrastructure now will be positioned to respond when AI disrupts labor markets, when new industries emerge, or when federal workforce grants require demonstrating coordinated systems and measurable outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can automation improve workforce ecosystem management?
Automation continuously monitors training programs, employer needs, and workforce resources across a defined geography, eliminating manual updates and ensuring economic developers have current information. It identifies new micro-credentials, apprenticeships, and employer-led training programs as they launch, centralizing everything in a single interface where economic developers can filter by industry, location, or population served.
What role should economic developers play in connecting training providers to employer needs?
Economic developers should create infrastructure that makes training supply visible and accessible while tracking employer demand in real time. This means maintaining centralized resource libraries where job seekers can find relevant programs, facilitating coordination between training providers and employers, and using data to identify skills gaps and demonstrate outcomes to funders.
Why does real-time workforce visibility matter more now than ever?
The workforce landscape is changing faster than manual tracking methods can keep up with. Skills-based hiring has moved mainstream, micro-credentials are proliferating, and AI will force millions of workers to switch careers or learn new skills by 2030. Communities need systems that track these changes automatically so economic developers can coordinate responses rather than spending time updating spreadsheets.
About the Speakers
Sherrod Davis is co-founder and CEO of EcoMap Technologies, an ecosystem intelligence platform for economic developers and ecosystem builders. EcoMap has worked with close to 100 customers in over 30 states and five countries, supporting use cases from small business development to sector-specific growth and workforce coordination.
Bethany Quinn is President of Golden Shovel Agency, which helps economic development organizations with digital marketing, automation, and strategic communications.