TechVision21 has helped numerous clients achieve their goals with the most appropriate focus and scope—whether through an individual project focused on a single issue or opportunity, or through ongoing initiatives with multiple purposes. Some recent clients and their successful results include:

• BEST: Building Engineering and Science Talent
• Goodwill Industries International
• GWSolutions—a George Washington University Enterprise
• Jobs for the Future
• Kettering University
• Motorola University
• National Association of Manufacturers: Center for Workforce Success
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
• National Task Force on Technology and Disability
• Thomson Learning

Goal: Increase the representation of women, minorities and persons with disabilities in technology careers.

• Helped BEST research and write two chapters of The Talent Imperative, a report on ways technology-intensive employers can recruit, retain and advance women, minorities and persons with disabilities in technology careers.

• As a member of the BEST “blue ribbon” Workforce Panel, Kelly Carnes provided research, analysis and access to previous and ongoing work in this area, including expertise developed by the Congressionally mandated Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development, in which she played a leadership role.

Goal: To re-position Goodwill as a national leader in workforce development.

Results include:

• Mary McCain developed and executed a national strategy targeting Congress, the Administration and influential national organizations to re-position Goodwill as a leader in workforce development, as well as disability issues. The strategy incorporated the organization’s ongoing grassroots and national “symposia” on the workforce system, and culminated in a national meeting.

Goal: Develop and execute a Federal “Go to Market” strategy for the full range of GWSolutions’ education and training services.

Results include:

• Developing detailed profiles of federal agencies with plans or mandates to act on challenges within GWSolutions’ target product and service capabilities (including information security, management and executive development, and organizational development consulting).
  
  
• Identifying, and positioning GWSolutions to compete for, multi-million dollar federal education and training opportunities.
  
  
• Creating opportunities for access to, and communication with, key federal decision makers in the target areas.
  
  
• Building a federal brand and visibility in the marketplace.

Goal: Inform Congressional debate on re-authorization of adult education legislation.

Results include:

• A white paper, Leapfrogging the Status Quo: E-learning and the Challenge of Adult Literacy, based on consultations with over 30 experts around the country in government, business and education, that identified over 40 viable and publicly available e-learning tools, products and programs and assessed their current and potential value for the over 40 million American adults with low levels of literacy.
  This effort built on Mary McCains leading role in developing and managing the Commission on Technology and Adult Education (2000/2001).
  
  
• A companion piece of Snapshots of over 30 products and programs according to a template of developers, funders, audience, cost, business model, and other factors.

Goal: Create a new Center for Fuel Cell Systems and Powertrain Integration for this top-ten ranked institution of undergraduate engineering education.

Results to date include:

• Crafting the Center’s vision, mission and strategy.
  
  
• Helping secure millions in federal economic development funds to support the Center.
  
  
• Recruiting nationally-recognized business, academic and government fuel cell leaders for a blue-ribbon advisory panel.
  
  
• Building alliances with key government officials, Federal laboratories, industry and professional associations.
  
  
• Creating an Industry Partnership Consortium—composed of leading fuel cell companies—to support the Center.
  
  
• Raising Kettering’s visibility in Washington, DC, Michigan, and nationally, including orchestrating briefings with key Members of Congress, and the Bush and Granholm Administrations.
  
  
• Crafting a communications strategy, message and materials, including a brochure and interactive web site. (http://fuelcells.kettering.edu).

Goal: Assess interest, market viability, and possibilities for partnering with national organizations representing all aspects of K-12 education, for purpose of introduction and sales of wireless communication options for teachers and administrators.

Results include:

• Working through contacts in K-12 organizations, companies with strong sales history in school systems, and the national teachers unions, Mary McCain and Kathy Walsh developed a strategy for Motorola University’s new approach to the K-12 education market, resulting in heightened visibility, opportunities for high impact pilot activities, and new business opportunities.

Goal: Develop a background paper to serve as framework for discussions on ways to help the public sector workforce system better prepare youth and youth with disabilities for work.

Results include:

• A white paper that identifies professional requirements and options for training and certifications for frontline workers in the public sector workforce system who prepare youth and youth with disabilities for work. Attachments include a matrix and appendices of programs determined to be valuable for meeting stated goals.

Goal: In partnership with the US Chamber of Commerce Center for Workforce Success and Jobs for the Future, use federal grant funding to pilot a model in three states for linking employers and individuals more closely to the public workforce development system.

Results to date include:

• Three states have been selected as national demonstration sites through an RFP process led by state level “intermediary organizations” that are joint affiliates of the NAM and the US Chamber of Commerce.

Goal: Develop a public advocacy agenda to advance the widespread availability and use of universally designed products and assistive technology.

Results to date include:

Created a compelling “business case” showing that universal design and assistive technology deliver significant economic benefits.

• Helped NTFTD develop a path-breaking report, Within Our Reach, which makes recommendations to policy makers, business and academe on ways to advance the use of universally designed products and assistive technology.
  
  
• Partnering with federal agencies and other stakeholders to launch the report, and develop a series of follow up events.

Goal: Assess market opportunity in federal agencies for introduction of Thomson’s portfolio of e-learning products and services.

Results include:

• Identifying and developing a “map” of federal agencies with highest potential, that included agency strategies, plans, directives, budgets and key officials.
  
  
• Developing initial strategy for product positioning and access to decision-makers.