Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/1305277
Knowing how to shape raw material into something tangible, productive and worthwhile takes time and expertise. Data works the same way. It can mean very little without context. Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) knows analyzing and contextualizing data will be more important than ever as Winnipeg companies build back stronger and grow. "We knew we had an important role to play and that businesses could use our help to make informed decisions, during the pandemic and on the other side of it," says EDW's President & CEO, Dayna Spiring. Our Market Intelligence (MI) team developed a COVID-19 toolkit — a guide to resources, protocols and practices for businesses trying to build back from the pandemic. "Beyond the pandemic, we want to make sure local companies are aware that our MI team is producing valuable resources for our clients and our investors," adds YW's Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Ryan Kuffner. The Weekly Economic Digest is one of those key resources, where our Senior Economist provides insights and context around news stories or business issues that could affect economic indicators for Winnipeg and Manitoba. The digests cover government announcements, policy changes and budgets to better understand and explain their potential impacts on companies. At the same time, the MI team consistently analyzes data from other sources such as Statistics Canada, the City of Winnipeg and Invest in Canada to highlight developing trends that could give Winnipeg companies an edge. MI recently created a series of dashboards our YW Business Development Managers use to provide informed, data-driven advice to businesses. The dashboards analyze factors that can influence a company's decision to move or grow here. "We are building databases and dashboards that provide up-to-date and real-time observations to help make better decisions and tell Winnipeg's economic story. You can't tell that story without accurate data and this work further positions our YW business development team as experts and trusted advisors," says Spiring. If data is the raw material of the future, how we mine, contextualize and communicate it now will help companies make the informed investment and expansion decisions that will shape Winnipeg's future. YW's ability to leverage intelligence will make it easier for companies to invest in our city with confidence. Talent dashboard Displays the gap (or difference between supply and demand) for each educational background in Manitoba and extends this analysis to the rest of Canada to contextualize Manitoba's competitive advantages. Location dashboard Maps out parcels of investible land and transit stops across the city with associated characteristics. There is a capacity to filter these characteristics to meet the requirements of an investor, such as zoning and taxation. Sector dashboard Breaks out Winnipeg and Manitoba sector data by type of business, sector employment and Gross Domestic Product. It allows our team to measure sector trends and compare to national data. Occupation dashboard Offers searchable insights by National Occupation Code and the workforce in Manitoba. Occupations are arranged by industry with associated gender, age, educational background, top 10 job titles and predicted expansion gaps in Manitoba and across the country. This data complements the Talent Dashboard to provide a more complete picture of Manitoba's workforce and depth of talent pools. YES! WINNIPEG 17