2017 - 2019 Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
2017 - 2019
Securing economic prosperity and global competitiveness in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
Table of Contents Message from Our Co-Chairs
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Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 Task Force
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About Accelerate Greater Charleston 2012 – 2016
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Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 – Moving Forward
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Strategic Priority I Talent and Workforce Development
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Strategic Priority II Advocacy for Regional Sustainability and Economic Advancement
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Investing in Accelerate Greater Charleston 2
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Working for Regional Prosperity
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Peer Market Comparison
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A2 Matters to the Community
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Message from our Co-Chairs In 2012, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce created Accelerate Greater Charleston – a five-year campaign – to propel regional improvements in talent, innovation and advancement. 104 organizations invested, and have worked to develop initiatives and produce outcomes that are positively impacting the region’s vitality. Successful programs and initiatives launched by AGC, coupled with enhancements driven by economic indicators, have positioned our region in both national and international spotlights. Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties have experienced immense growth in recent years and our metro area is thriving. This prosperity also brings challenges. Greater Charleston’s most pressing reality is the need to secure economic prosperity to enhance our global competitiveness. The tri-county region shows no signs of slowing down and the important work we have started must continue if we are to be globally competitive well into the future. It is imperative that we enhance initiatives that aggressively develop our existing talent base while also maintaining our focus on improving infrastructure and livability. Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 will be the vehicle with which we can continue positioning metro Charleston for its full potential. The investment in the region for the next three years will secure continued development of talent and advocacy assets. Join this exciting collaboration of regional business leaders who are driving the Charleston region’s resiliency. We look forward to working with you.
Elizabeth Colbert-Busch Clemson University Restoration Institute
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Len Hutchison Wells Fargo
Jonathan Zucker The InterTech Group, Inc.
Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 Task Force
Patrick Bryant Bidr and Go To Team
Bryan Derreberry Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Steve Dudash Thomas & Hutton
David Dunlap Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Anton Gunn Medical University of South Carolina
Melonie Hammond-Trace Elliott Davis Decosimo LLC
Mark Lattanzio SunTrust Bank
Marc Marchant LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD.
Josh Sorkin SAIC
Melissa Stowasser Trident Technical College
Laura Varn Santee Cooper
Stuart Whiteside Seamon Whiteside + Associates
Scott Woods South Carolina Federal Credit Union
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“ I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have received this scholarship. Not one person in my family has been to college and I am glad that I get to change that in my family name.� Robert Preston Henley Accelerate Greater Charleston 2014 Scholarship Recipient
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About Accelerate Greater Charleston Accelerate Greater Charleston (AGC1) was launched in 2012 to maximize our area’s future development through a set of strategic regional advancement initiatives. Metro Charleston, experiencing an economic renaissance, called for private and public sector leaders to collectively make sound investments to increase our region’s competitiveness, positioning our businesses and communities for long-term success. Accelerate Greater Charleston was the planning and funding vehicle to make these aspirations a reality; driving the area to become a world-class metropolitan region. More than 100 investors responded to the call, raising $4.2 million to accelerate progress toward a stronger business climate and a larger workforce; the two targeted areas of greater promise for competitive success. The achievements of the first five years of the Charleston Metro Chamber’s Accelerate Greater Charleston plan represent the leadership initiatives for much of the region’s enhanced competitiveness and growth. Our metro area’s upward trajectory has been focused and purposeful as a result of the strategic priorities comprising Accelerate Greater Charleston.
2012 – 2016 Accomplishments include: TALENT
ADVOCACY AND ADVANCEMENT
• Talent Demand Study spotlighting talent gaps in high-demand fields
• State lobbyist program
• Rapid development of Career Academies across the region; 785% increase over three years • 102 Scholarships to Trident Technical College for associate degrees in high-demand fields •Y outh Apprenticeship Programs in four industry clusters and 30 companies
• Issue campaigns for critical regional assets • BRAC protection of Joint Base Charleston • Metro Export Plan • Export Training Program with 21 graduated companies
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Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 – Moving Forward The Charleston region is now a globally competitive metro. The speed at which we have been able to respond to economic enhancement opportunities, and scale them appropriately, has tangibly improved our region’s business development landscape. Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 (Accelerate 2 / A2) will dynamically build on AGC1’s strong results, adding a new set of timely regional advancement initiatives. Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties face greater growth and competitive asset development opportunities than what we have experienced over the last five years. Accelerate 2 is created with an understanding of these unparalleled opportunities juxtaposed with a series of formidable challenges that must be addressed, including: • An increasing high-demand talent market • Regional growth requirements and issues including traffic congestion and housing affordability • The need for collaborative, multi-sector decision-making at a much greater speed with higher precision These factors will affect our region’s ability to retain and attract businesses, grow and compete for talent and positively shepherd our future economic prosperity. With a goal of raising $1.2 million per year for three years, Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 will propel the region’s continued advancement as a globally competitive metro.
Accelerate 2 Strategic Priorities:
TALENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Increase the region’s talent pipeline to meet the needs of current and future employers with a highly skilled career-ready talent pool.
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ADVOCACY FOR REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT Strengthen the region by advocating for supportive legislation and issues at the local, state and federal levels that enhance the business environment and livability of the region.
“ Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 will make a transformational impact on our region, showing what we can accomplish when we choose our vision for the future and set the process in motion to achieve it rapidly and collaboratively. � Jonathan Zucker The InterTech Group, Inc.
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“ A deep connection between education and industry drives a successful economy. Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 propels our success by ensuring that we have the talent needed for today’s and tomorrow’s employers and prosperity for all who live here.” Elizabeth Colbert-Busch Clemson University Restoration Institute
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Talent and Workforce Development
Increase the region’s talent pipeline to meet the needs of current and future employers with a highly skilled career-ready talent pool.
Objectives: • Increase scholarship funding, access, support, and placement for high school students in Career Academies and Youth Apprenticeship Programs. • Improve workforce skills development through Career Academies and Youth Apprenticeship Program enhancements and focused administrator and teacher coordination. • Support and enhance our role as Convener of the High School Graduation Network as appointed by Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative.
• Develop activities and communication strategies to increase awareness of career education activities among students, educators, business leaders and community residents.
• Increase internship availability and placement through the development of an Intern Portal to access comprehensive offerings for high school and college students and graduates.
• Initiate a second Talent Gap Analysis to provide updated regional research and progress in meeting employer demands for specific majors, fields of study and certifications from regional K-20 system.
• Recruit and retain young professionals with skills and experience needed by regional employers. •E xecute Project-Based Learning curricula and accompanying teacher training and certification.
Metrics include: • Enrollment in Career Academies • Scholarships awarded annually •G raduation rates for Career Academies
• Graduation rates among Youth Apprenticeship Program
• Number of business partners engaged with Career Academies
• Number of Youth • Job placement of Apprenticeship Youth Apprenticeship Program participants Program graduates
• Number of associate degrees awarded annually to scholarship recipients • Number of internships posted annually
• Career Headlight analytics including number of users • Number of teachers in Project-Based Learning (PBL) training annually 8
Advocacy for Regional Sustainability and Economic Advancement
Strengthen the region by advocating for supportive legislation and issues at the local, state and federal levels that enhance the business environment and livability of the region.
Objectives: • Relieve traffic congestion through support of improvements in transportation infrastructure at both state and local levels by achieving consistent and substantive funding and enhanced collaborative partnerships. • Improve housing affordability through activities that support responsible growth and, where appropriate, density development throughout the region.
• Lead military retention efforts through a robust strategy for pre-BRAC planning and pending lobbying efforts. • Identify, initiate and develop model for regional issues collaboration among business, civic and elected leaders. • Develop targeted strategies for increased visibility and information on regional issues and business news in a rapidly scaling global economy.
• Strengthen and support advocacy efforts locally and statewide through polling capabilities, grassroots campaigns, research and public policy development. • Increase global commerce with World Trade Center Charleston’s support services, education and tools that help small- to mid-sized businesses enter international trade.
Metrics include:
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• Annual hours per driver in traffic congestion
• Number of white papers on public policy
• Stakeholder analytics
• Prioritization of regional issues
• Number of companies completing World Trade Center Charleston’s Export Charleston program
• Development and implementation of BRAC strategy •H ousing Affordability index
•A mount of international commerce resulting from training program
“ Our full-time lobbyist spends hundreds of hours each legislative session in meetings and conversations with the leadership of the House and Senate and with our delegation. As a result, we have been successful in passing significant legislation and creating a business climate that supports business growth. None of that would be possible without the funding provided by Accelerate Greater Charleston.� Len Hutchison Wells Fargo
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Investing in Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 Your investment is important. The competition for talent and expertise has never been greater and we must work quickly to enhance our economic assets in this globally positioned metro. A successful Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 campaign will allow for seamless enhancements to the great work already accomplished in the past five years, while we also build new platforms which will strengthen the region’s prosperity for decades to come. With a goal of raising $1.2 million per year for three years, Accelerate Greater Charleston 2 will propel the region’s continued advancement as a globally competitive metro. Your investment in Accelerate 2 will be allocated to yield maximum success for our two strategic acceleration priorities.
TALENT
52%
48%
34%
Career Academies and Youth Apprenticeships
19%
Scholarships
State Lobbying
21%
14%
Young Professionals
Local Lobbying
16%
13%
Digital Tools and Communications
BRAC
23%
12%
Regional Collaboration
Regional Issues Collaboration
26%
Global Commerce
14%
8% 11
ADVOCACY
Talent Gap Analysis
Working for Regional Prosperity Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Accelerate Greater Charleston 2
Advancing our region’s economy, improving our quality of life and enhancing our members’ success.
Addressing metro Charleston’s most meaningful economic, global competitiveness and quality of place opportunities and challenges.
• Advance the region’s pro-business climate • Serve as the private sector’s voice • Advocate for public policy and legislation • Drive regional partnerships • Enhance members’ success • Conduct and provide research on the region
• Increase the region’s talent pipeline with career- and college-ready students and graduates • Convene high school and higher education network • Improve transportation infrastructure and housing affordability • Lobby at state and local levels on legislation and issue campaigns • Provide pre-BRAC support and strategy • Conduct regional collaboration of business and civic leaders
“ The Charleston Metro Chamber’s core body of work is to advance the region for sustainable economic prosperity. It is a change agent for the continued progress of the business community and the region as a whole. Accelerate Greater Charleston allows that work to be done more rapidly, fluidly and collaboratively.” Scott Woods, 2016 Chairman of the Board Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
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Peer Market Comparison
The following graphs compare total annual allocations for talent development and advocacy initiatives of chambers of commerce in six markets.
Annual Budget Allocations for Talent Initiatives $1M
$878K $800K
$624K $600K
$454K
$407K
$400K
$394K $267K $150K
$200K
$0 Greater Austin Chamber
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Charleston Metro Chamber (A2)
Nashville Area Chamber
Jacksonville Chamber
Charleston Metro Chamber (AGC1)
Raleigh Chamber
Greater Richmond Chamber
Annual Budget Allocations for Advocacy Initiatives $800K
$715K
$576K
$600K
$490K
$400K
$289K $248K
$220K
$200K
$45K $0 Nashville Area Chamber
Charleston Metro Chamber (A2)
Greater Austin Chamber
Jacksonville Chamber
Charleston Metro Chamber (AGC1)
Greater Richmond Chamber
Raleigh Chamber
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A2 Matters to the Community
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• Continued talent pipeline development assures that our region is supplying a skilled and career-ready workforce that meets and exceeds our regional employers’ needs and expectations.
• Thousands of students across the region are career- and college-ready because of AGC’s investments and support. The next three years will produce exponential results for this continued performance return on investment.
•A ccelerate Greater Charleston investment drives mobilization of responsible growth alliances.
• Sustained communications to local, state and national legislators on issues impacting our business environment and economy are essential to existing and future business owners.
• Accelerate 2 investment directs and leads the threecounty community progress to stay globally competitive.
• A 75% adoption of the Charleston Metro Chamber’s annual legislative agendas would not be possible without the continued investment of Accelerate Greater Charleston which funds the communications and support of the business community’s collective voice.
• The region’s metro export initiative and subsequent programs and services are made possible by the continuation of Accelerate Greater Charleston.
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To learn more and engage, visit: charlestonchamber.net/accelerate2
4500 Leeds Avenue, Suite 100 N. Charleston, SC 29405 843.577.2510 mail@charlestonchamber.org
www.charlestonchamber.net