Enhance cooperation and consensus among business, government and economic development organizations. Provide support/information to address immediate individual business issues and opportunities. Encourage, support and facilitate human resource planning and labour market adjustments for the area. Accurately assess needs of local businesses, including workforce challenges; develop a corresponding action plan for economic prosperity.

It will be implemented in the City of Medicine Hat, Redcliff, Bow Island, and all businesses that draw employment or provide supplies within the one hour commuter-shed of Cypress County and County of Forty Mile.

The teams include four key groups of volunteers who will visit businesses and make decisions about what should be done to help local businesses survive and thrive. A total of 6-8 hours of time will be requested of each team and volunteer. Leadership Team: "Mobilizers" Mobilize the community and manage the project and teams. Business Visitation Team: "Advocators" Promote and encourage business to complete the survey. Workforce Team: "Advisors" Advise on current and future workforce needs, changes and challenges. Task Force Team: "Strategizers" Set priorities and develop action plans for implementation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. To view our full list of project team members, click here.

APRIL - OCT 2019 - Form BREWD Teams (Leadership, Workforce, Visitation, Task Force): To collaborate and spearhead the project to success. Project leadership team will seek volunteers from the community and area to form the various teams. SEPT - OCT 2019 - Survey Business Community: Develop survey and conduct one-on-one interviews and online survey. NOV - DEC 2019 - Prepare Survey Research Report: Compile and present findings from primary and secondary research (scans, visitations, engagement) and determine overarching themes / opportunities. JAN 2020 - Facilitate a Research Review Meeting: Discussions with Leadership Team and Workforce Team to assess the Survey Research Report to provide further advisement and identify potential solutions / projects. APRIL 2020 - Host a Task Force Retreat and Set Priorities: Engaging a broad cross-section of community leaders to provide further insight and advisement to set priorities and determine which priority projects will be led to action and who will lead them forward. JUNE 2020 -Host Economic Growth Forum: Community celebration and official launch of the projects moving into action. The forum will serve to communicate the commitment of the city, local business, organizations, and institutions to the growth of the business and the economy.

APRIL - OCT 2019​ - Complete Current Workforce Profile: Identify existing pressures employers will face to attract and retain labour. Environmental Scan: Scan emerging trends, issues, and business environment including workforce retention and attraction strategies. SEPT - OCT 2019 - Future Workforce Demands: Determine the future needs of business considering the emerging trends and issues identified in the environmental scan. Workforce Gap Analysis: Analyzing the data and identifying gaps between workforce supply and demand. NOV 2019 - Facilitate a Research Review Meeting: Discussions with Leadership Team and Workforce Team to assess the Survey Research Report to provide further advisement and identify potential solutions / projects. APRIL 2020 - Host a Task Force Retreat and Set Priorities: Engaging a broad cross-section o community leaders to provide further insight and advisement to set priorities and determine which priority projects will be led to action and who will lead them forward. Strategy Development: Develop strategies and complementary activities to address workforce gaps and potential surpluses. Prepare Summary Report of Priority Actions: Outlining projects ranked in order of priority and project leaders to implement action. JUNE 2020 - Host Economic Growth Forum: Community celebration and official launch of the projects moving into action. The forum will serve to communicate the commitment of the city, local business, organizations, and institutions to the growth of the business and the economy.

To view some of the video testimonials of those who have already joined the movement, click here.