An individual will change jobs seven to 10 times during his or her work life, according to statistics, making it necessary for workers globally to develop new skills.

Enter a forthcoming Web site, an effort of Penn State Outreach, the Sloan Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor, that will provide adults with information on online certificate and degree programs that respond to state workforce needs. Initially, Maine, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Colorado are participating in the portal. The long-term goal is to expand it nationwide.

The aim is to ensure that online learning programs across the nation can be brought to bear to help working adults and new workers contribute to the economy of their region, according to Penn State Outreach's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

In her former position as assistant secretary for Employment and Training in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Emily Stover DeRocco (Penn State, 1971) was involved in developing the university role in regional economic transformation across the country. DeRocco, now senior vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers, has been appointed visiting senior policy fellow in Penn State Outreach’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. DeRocco answered questions from Penn State Outreach magazine about her new fellowship and how Penn State can expand its impact in the Commonwealth.

Q: Can you tell us about your new role at the National Association of Manufacturers?

A: The National Association of Manufacturers is the principal advocacy association for manufacturers. Manufacturers have identified education reform and workforce issues as a top priority for continued productivity and growth. My role is to ramp up the education, research and innovation efforts of the organization.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish as senior policy fellow in Penn State’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development?

A: Universities can play a leadership role in bringing strategic partners together, in connecting research and development with venture capital to drive economic growth and create jobs, and in driving a culture of innovation by supporting entrepreneurs. Additionally, they can be innovators in talent development strategies. Penn State has recognized its power in regional economic and talent development and is looking to expand its impact in the Commonwealth. My role as fellow is to bring my work experience in formulating and implementing regional competitiveness strategies and continue to both learn and teach in this environment.

Q: How has the role of public research universities in economic and workforce development changed as we move into an innovation economy?

A: Universities, particularly land-grant universities, have been expanding their mission. They are becoming key drivers of regional economic development. Many had moved away from a core mission of economic development, and now they are recognizing their potential in driving economic growth and fostering innovation—expanding the university’s role in the innovation life cycle from the R&D in university labs to moving “mind to market” and creating jobs.

Q: What do you see as Penn State’s opportunity in this?

A: Penn State can lead in substantial reform to our education system. We need to be innovative in how we design curricula to address the skills employers need. For example, Penn State is a leader in the Pennsylvania Plastics Initiative [an effort to ensure an adequate supply of future trained plastics workers]. The University was paired with the right partners on this effort and is demonstrating how talent development can drive and support economic development.

Q: Your leadership in developing the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development initiative, known as WIRED, while you were at the DOL was recognized as a critical policy effort to focus on regional competitiveness. Why is this initiative so important?

A: WIRED showed the importance of regional broad-based partnerships—business, education and government—in aligning and leveraging resources to build competitive advantage in the 21st century global economy. WIRED took a comprehensive, holistic approach to economic and talent development—similar to Penn State’s. Many more universities are leading regional economic transformations. In order for universities to be successful in leading such an effort, they need to align the mission of the university administration, faculty and outreach efforts.

Q: The Brookings Institution recently suggested the need for a National Innovation Foundation, a National Science Foundation-like federal agency. What might come out of this Brookings report and the thinking behind it?

A: The report recognized the WIRED success in aligning resources and expertise from multiple agencies available via separate programs to support economic and talent development to meet the challenges of today’s innovation economy.

An Innovation Foundation would leverage and align these programs and services to support the development of a 21st century economic strategy. We hope that Brookings’ recommendation does get legs in Congress and unleashes the resources and potential of our nation to drive the innovation economy forward.