Growing Informationbased Jobs In Rural America EWork Opportunity Overview

1
Growing Information-based JobsIn Rural
America E-Work Opportunity
Overview
2
Agenda

• Background
• Drivers
• Success Stories
• Benefits
• Resources

3
WSU CBDD Goal

• Enable Creative Application of Modern Information
  Technology to
• Create Jobs
• Build Sustainable Communities
• Empower Productive Collaboration

4
Our Focus

• Rural Communities
• Underserved Urban Populations
• Ordinary People from Developing Nations

5
WSU Rural e-Work Program

• Goals
• Support regional competitiveness and long-term
  rural economic development
• Build capacity of rural communities to create
  information-based jobs
• Educate employers and facilitate partnerships
  with communities

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Participating Communities
Forks Okanogan County Ferry Count Ritzville Dayton
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Rural e-Work Program Support

• US Economic Development Administration
• Washington State Department of Community Trade
  Economic Development
• Bank of America
• CenturyTel
• WSU
• Stone Soup
• In-kind contributions
• Sunaptic Solutions
• Onshore Advantage
• Participating communities

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Drivers

• Challenges for Rural Communities
• High unemployment
• Low wage jobs (under-employed)
• Out-migration of residents
• Need economic diversification
• Challenges for Urban Businesses
• Tight labor market
• High turnover
• High facilities costs
• Need for business continuity
• Rural Broadband Telecommunications

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A Matter of Perspective

• Economic development in rural communities that is
  information communication technology-driven.
• AND
• A business strategy resulting in reduced
  operating costs, an expanded labor pool,
  capabilities for business continuity market
  expansion.

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Multiple Options

• Outsourcing
• Teleworkers
• Branch offices
• Business relocation
• Business start-up
• Full/Part-time
• Employee or contractor

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Information Technology Jobs

• Help desk customer service
• Language translation/interpretation
• Medical transcription medical coding
• Website development/maintenance
• Financial services
• Back office operations
• Writing/editing
• Research/evaluation
• Software development
• Insurance claims processing
• Project management

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NCTeleservewww.ncteleserve.com

• Customer Technical Support
• Winthrop, WA
• Established in 2000
• 25 employees
• Customers include
• IBM
• Ambassador Group
• Centiricity
• Altrec
• HomeMovie.Com

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Leffel, Otis Warwickwww.leffelotisworwick.com

• Accounting Financial Services
• Four full-time offices Davenport, Wilbur,
  Odessa Ritzville
• Five part-time offices Harrington, St. John,
  Sprague, Coulee City Fairfield
• Established in 1953
• 40 employees
• Major client base
• agriculture construction

14
Earth Sky Studioswww.earthandskystudies.com

• Web Design/Development Marketing
• Twisp, WA
• 4 employees subcontractors state-wide
• Clients include business, government,
  nonprofits

15
Language Line Serviceswww.languageline.com

• Language translation/interpretation
• Teleworker in Forks, WA
• Established in 1982
• Serves customers
• worldwide
• Highly qualified staff
• telework from all over
• the country

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HomeMovie.Comwww.homemovie.com

• Video Preservation to DVD
• Winthrop, WA
• Moved from Everett,
• WA in 2003
• 15 employees and
• growing
• Received Senator Murray Golden Tennis Shoe Award

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TextPRO Writing Serviceswww.textpro.biz

• Business Writing Services
• Sekiu, WA
• Clients include local newspapers to large East
  Coast companies
• Helped Develop Rural Case Studies

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Inspired Universitywww.inspiredu.com

• On-line Training
• Oroville, WA
• Established in 2003
• 7 employees
• Educators nation-
• wide teaching
• students nation-wide
• Introducing a new web-video product

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Call Center 24X7www.callcenters24x7.com

• Call center and other innovative
• business services
• Port Angeles, WA
• Plans for expansion
• to other Washington
• communities

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Bear Creek Lumberwww.bearcreeklumber.com

• Specialty Lumber
• Winthrop, WA
• Established in 1977
• 14 employees
• Family owned and operated
• Embraced ICT to expand customer base throughout
  the world

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Virtual Frontierwww.shopthefrontier.com

• E-commerce
• Republic, WA
• Access to rural services and products on-line
• Launched Nov 05
• Expanding to rural U.S.

22
Washington Dental Servicewww.deltadentalwa.com

• Dental Claims Processing
• Colville, WA
• Established in 2002
• 90 employees
• 1 million savings in
• 3 years of operation
• Business continuity
• site

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Business Benefits

• Savings on facilities as high as 50
• Up to 20 lower labor costs
• Strong work ethic
• Stable workforce (low turnover, tardiness
  absenteeism)
• Off-site data storage
• Remote operations for business continuity

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Community Benefits

• Living wage jobs
• Clean, scalable development opportunities
• tax base
• New home town opportunities

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Workforce Benefits

• New rewarding local job opportunities
• Rural jobs with health care benefits
• The ability to live and work in their community
  of choice

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Driving Forces of Opportunity

• Growing urban labor shortages
• Global competition forcing cost cutting
  innovation
• High cost of urban residential housing
• People with the resources to do so choosing to
  live in beautiful rural locations
• Baby boomers wanting to come home

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Resources

• WSU rural case studies at http//cbdd.wsu.edu/init
  iatives/ework/employerres02.html
• Community Resource Guide at
• http//cbdd.wsu.edu/initiatives/ework/communityre
  s01.html
• Bill Gillis, 509-432-4243
• bgillis_at_wsu.edu
• Dee Christensen, 360-584-3025
• christensend_at_wsu.edu
• Monica Babine, 425-827-8015
• babinem_at_wsu.edu