Racial disparities in wealth and income are growing even as we become a majority people-of-color nation. Manufacturing, we believe, is a key industry in the fight to reverse that trend. The Equity CoP will focus on how your organization can build low-income residents and underserved communities into the activity created by urban manufacturers. Here we’ll highlight stellar examples of workforce development and job quality strategies; entrepreneurship and business growth; technology transfer and training; community participation and organizing; and other tactics that can level the economic playing field for everyone.

As populations grow in U.S. urban areas, the stakes over development space are high. Industrial, residential and commercial developers have to harmonize within city borders, but the potential for industrial lands usually goes untapped. The Land Use CoP provides examples of how cities and stakeholders are turning once-blighted industrial spaces into hubs for maker and manufacturing communities. It provides vital, up-to-date models for manufacturers but also policy approaches for developers and government officials. By showing the particular challenges urban manufacturers face in securing the space they need, we want our members to learn how smart approaches to industrial land use can create a multiplier effect for local entrepreneurs.

Locally-made campaigns are successful because they tap into a sense of urban pride with consumers. But the best “Made-in” organizations, as we call them here (think “Made in NYC,” “SFMade,” among others), go beyond their “buy local” slant and put manufacturers in touch with workforce development resources, advertising assistance, networks of other local manufacturers and more. UMA’s Local Branding CoP creates member-driven programming to engage and support new and existing locally-made platforms. We dive deep into the landscape of “Made-in” organizations across the U.S. to prepare toolkits, webinars, policy reports and mapping for our members, all above the aim of growing the already-booming maker and localism movement nationwide.

After four decades of decline, the manufacturing sector is growing and creating a new breed of quality jobs. But with automation on the rise, laborers will soon have to compete with robotic technologies for low-skill jobs, which could threaten traditional entry points into the industry. Cities are the theater for this new era of manufacturing, as their unique cultural, spatial, and economic assets encourage innovative business models, and keep employers connected with the communities that depend on them for a living. The Workforce Development CoP provides tools for how to keep those job pipelines open and growing. Our resources will help economic development practitioners understand strategies and best practices to help employers train incoming and existing employees, and build the workforce strategies we need today to make sure workers benefit alongside this tide of unprecedented innovation.