The LEDC created a separately funded initiative in 2003 to focus on creating High-Skill, High-Wage jobs to improve Lakeland’s Quality of Life. The High-Skill Initiative is focused on recruiting and retaining companies that focus on enabling technologies which support High-Skill, High-Wage employees and manufacture complex research-oriented products.
The High-Skill Initiative works to accomplish these goals through Higher Education and Economic Development Partnerships, facilitating development of High-Skill Infrastructure (including a research university), Marketing, Incentives, City Visits, Y Lakeland Campaign and Summer Leadership Program.
High-Skill Investors attended their sixth benchmarking city visit to San Diego, California November 30-December 4, 2010. This trip was the group's fourth out-of-state visit (Raleigh RTP 2009, Austin 2008, Memphis 2007, Jacksonville 2006 & Orlando 2005). The LEDC's High-Skill/High-Wage Investor Group spent four days in meetings and touring with local representatives of the Economic Development Organizations, industry and local leaders, as well as the medical community and high-skill/high-wage employers, entrepreneurs and developers. LEDC City Visits focus on high-skill/high-wage jobs, innovation and entrepreneur development, healthcare, higher education, and downtown development and redevelopment.
Y Lakeland - Connect With Us
The LEDC officially launched www.ylakeland.com in 2007.
The goal of Y Lakeland is to connect college and high school students to Lakeland with information that is relevant to young people, whether that is finding information on an internship in our city or what is happening this weekend in Lakeland.
At YLakeland, the blog topics are many and varied. Some recent posts include previews about local events, like college movie nights at Lakeland’s Polk Theatre. The YLakeland blog writes news updates from Lakeland and around Polk County and we are always on the lookout for new stores and restaurants opening around town,as well as features pieces on the city of Lakeland itself, such as good biking spots and parks around town, which is just part of what makes living in Lakeland such an amazing experience.
Here are some posts that you might want to check out:
If you have children or friends in College or High-School have them check out our website at www.ylakeland.com . To receive the YLakeland blogs you can save our website on your favorites or just do what most students do to stay connected, friend ylakeland on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Y Lakeland launched an 8-week (June-July) Summer Leadership Program for interns and new hires starting in the Summer, 2008. Since its inception in 2008, this program has had 181 participants from 54 local companies. Interns and new hires participated in eight half-day events featuring Local Art, Architecture, Quality of Life, High-Skill High-Wage & Industry Tours, Leadership Training & Speakers, Team Building, Communications, Socials, Networking & Community Service.
SLP Facts:
Participants: 181
Number of Companies:54
Average Age: 25
Interns: 68
New Hires: 113
From Lakeland: 59
Other Cities in Florida: 63
International: 9