Custom economic development training

Small group around boardroom table

The Economic Development Program can create and deliver custom programming for your organization. 

We have been training economic development professionals, politicians, and public servants for more than 30 years. Let us create a specialized professional development experience for your group, or choose from our ready-made courses and seminars.

Contact us

Contact the Economic Development Program's Director Paul Parker to start the discussion and see what we can do for you.

Special topics

Our vast network of speakers have expertise in all areas related to economic development. 

We are ready to develop a course or seminar from scratch to suit your group's needs.

Ready-made courses and seminars

Courses

Year 1 and Year 2 are regularly offered in Waterloo and Edmonton. If the scheduling or location is inconvenient, we can bring them to your community on demand.

Year 1: Fundamentals of community economic development

Year 2: Advancing economic development opportunities

Seminars

The following seminars are upcoming or have been offered in the past two years. We can use the same modules or tailor the content as needed.

  • Creative workplaces workshop

  • Performance measurement in economic development

  • Investment attraction, readiness and partnerships

  • ​Content marketing for economic developers: Promoting your community

  • Economic diversification: Strategies for revitalizing local economies

  • Social media for economic developers

  • Fostering local innovation: What economic developers need to know about incubators

  • International opportunities and best practices

  • Youth strategies for economic development

  • Digital manufacturing: New opportunities

  • Economic development writing retreat: Three days to done

  • Real estate, employment lands and site selection

  • Planning 101 for Economic Developers