Workforce Development & Economic Diversification

Objective: Foster a diverse economy that sustains both a year-round workforce and the human infrastructure (childcare, healthcare, education) needed to support that workforce.

Workforce Development & Economic Diversification was identified as Priority 2 during the 2021 Community VisionProcess. In order to address the above objective, the Town of North Haven created an Advisory Group of local business leaders and put out a request for proposals from economic consultants to perform an assessment of North Haven's economy and workforce. The Town retained Camoin Associates to conduct this assessment and identify areas of opportunity that would support our goal of diversifying North Haven's year-round economy in a sustainable way.  Below, learn about the reasons Workforce Development & Economic Diversification was named Priority 2 and review Camoin Associate's Findings Report and Action Plan Matrix. The identified actions in the Action Plan Matrix are designed to help achieve North Haven's vision of a diverse, thriving year-round economy. Camoin Associates used demographic and census data, the findings from the 2021 Community Vision Process, the Community Priorities Survey, and a series of focus groups and interviews with community members to inform these prioritized actions. 

Next Steps: From Plan to Action

Based on the report and recommendations, the Town is pursuing grant funding to develop and construct a resilient waterfront district along the Thorofare. The Town has applied for a $200,000 Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) grant to begin working on waterfront improvements along the Thorofare and Main Street. This scoping phase will include the formation of a Working Group of community members, business and property owners, and users of the waterfront to help guide the design process. It will also involve working closely with engineers and environmental specialists who can help us ensure our waterfront remains resilient in the face of sea level rise and other climate impacts while offering opportunities for economic diversification to support a vibrant year-round economy. While we wait to hear back about the BRIC application (sometime in August or September 2023), we have also applied for a ShoreUp grant through the Island Institute, which will give us $10,000 to begin this process and start to gather input from the community.