WNIT's Economic Outlook

The Indiana General Assembly has appropriated $500 million for the READI 2.0 program, and effort to strengthen the State’s talent and attraction and retention effort. The South Bend-Elkhart region will soon compete for a portion of those funds. Jeff and George dive deeper into that effort and tell you what you should expect.

Overall employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032. That means its critical to teach youth, adults, and educators skills in computer science so that our region is ready for those jobs. Jeff and George are talking tech and the efforts locally to prepare workers for the jobs of tomorrow on this...

Research shows that employees in good health are more likely to deliver optimal performance in the workplace. That has employers focused on the programs and facilities available to help their workers. Jeff and George are talking about all things health and wellness in the workplace this week on Economic Outlook.

Jeff sits down with Denise Peters and Andy Qualls, and later George heads over to the YMCA in Niles to chat with Mitt Drew. Listen to another edition of the Economic Outlook Podcast tomorrow at 7pm brought to you by PBS Michiana.

Juan leads a non-profit focused on empowering the Latino/Hispanic community through education, cultural, advocacy services. Steve leads an organization focused on breaking the cycle of homelessness. We’re sitting down with a couple of great non-profit leaders and taking a closer look at the work they are doing to improve communities and drive economic growth, coming up on Economic Outlook.

We’ve put the team back together after a short summer hiatus, and PBS Michiana stands ready to bring you more great programming in the season ahead. Our hope is to take you to every corner of the region and give you an inside look at the major projects driving our economy. This week, Jeff and George are looking ahead at the new season of Economic Outlook.

We are back for another season of Economic Outlook (EO) here at PBS Michiana-WNIT in South Bend. We have a preview of what's to come and who will be on our first episode. EO airs on Tuesday's at 7pm on WNIT and here where you find your favorite podcast's. Our new season begins on Tuesday October 10th so make sure you subscribe to stay up to date on every episode and any extras that we&...

This season, we’ve taken you to every corner of the region, giving you an inside look at the major project driving economic growth in the region. This week, we’re looking back at some of those shows and giving you some updates on those projects, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Efforts are underway to grow the number of minority and women owned businesses across the region and to give those businesses access to new economic opportunities. We’ll hear from an employer on why this is an important practice, and take a closer look at one of the programs, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Career and technology education can give your child what’s needed to succeed for life: technical skills, academic skills and employability skills. In addition, career and technical education helps students see how what they’re learning applies to the needs of employers. We’re taking a closer look at CTE in Southwest Michigan, with an eye towards how that could fuel economic growth, coming up on Ec...

Planners have been studying transit goals and priorities in the South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart and Goshen areas with an eye on how to best serve the public through Transpo and the Inter Urban Trolley. We’ll dive deeper into that work, and let you know what might be ahead with public transit, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Retail is at a crossroads and the future of office space is unclear. Supply chain issues persist, and inflation is at near 40-year highs. But there are some bright spots in the commercial real estate forecast as the hot streak for industrial properties remains and multifamily properties continue to perform well. We’ll take a closer look at what’s happening in the commercial real estate markets, co...

Solar technology uses specialized panels to harness the power of the sun to create electricity. It is the most abundant of renewable energy sources. Even in the Midwest where we’re known for our cloudier days, solar energy has its merits. We’re diving deeper into Solar this week, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Schools in the region are meeting to see how to best deliver career and technical education training. Could a new career center be in the works for the largest County in Indiana without one? Stayed tuned for the answer to that question, and more about why CTE training is so important, coming up on Economic Outlook.

It's baseball season once again, and we’re drafted the region’s biggest baseball fan to join us today for an inside look at baseball, stadium plans, and the season ahead. Join me for my conversation with Andrew Berlin, the owner of the Midwest League Champion South Bend Cubs, coming up on Economic Outlook.

They are devoted to ending the cycle of hunger in the local communities of northern Indiana by providing a food rescue service. And they’ve built a local network of food suppliers with the goal of providing wholesome meals so no one in our community goes hungry. We’ll take a closer look at Cultivate Food Rescue, coming up on Economic Outlook.

At the Women’s Business Center in Berrien County, they are helping women, people of color, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals start and grow businesses in Southwest Michigan. We’ll take a closer look at their work and share some lessons learned from their success, coming up on Economic Outlook.

He’s a Hoosier Native, and CEO of one of Indiana’s largest companies with over 12,000 employees, the Cook Medical Group, a leader in the medical device industry. We’re hearing today from Pete Yonkman, as he shares more about the responsibility companies have to improve the communities where they operate, coming up on Economic Outlook.

A new tourist attraction on South Bend’s west side at US 31 and US 20 is on the way, and is expected to be a major employer, and will attract more than 100,000 annual visitors. We’re taking a closer look at the plans for the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, Chocolate Factory, and Chocolate Museum, and a number of other amenities that you’ll soon be able to enjoy, coming up on Economic Outlook.

The $15 billion Youth Sports travel industry is impacting communities across the country and Our region is winning big on that travel, with youth sports being the fastest-growing sector of visitors coming to the region. We’ll take a closer look at the impact of those travelers, coming up on Economic Outlook.

A group of diverse public, private, and not-for-profit leaders in Southwest Michigan have come together to identify and advocate for transformational initiatives in Berrien County that will help drive community and economic growth and improve the quality of life. You’ll hear first-hand from a couple of the key leaders from that effort, and we’ll hear about the progress they’re making, coming up on...

In the past, we’ve taken you downtown Mishawaka for a look at some of the exciting redevelopment that has happened on the former Uniroyal site. In December, a major new attraction opened on the site. We’ll give you a firsthand look at the improvements and talk about what’s next, coming up on Economic Outlook.

For decades, US 31 has been a vital transportation corridor for our region. In 2022, several major improvements occurred that made the trips north and south, faster, and safer! We’ll take a closer look at those improvements and talk about what’s next for the corridor, coming up on Economic Outlook.

The housing market has changed dramatically over the last few years, as rising interest rates, and the lack of available housing threatens to slow community growth. We’re taking a deep dive into the housing industry, coming up on Economic Outlook.

Annually, more than 81 million visitors come to explore Indiana, and those visitors spend over $13.2 billion in the Hoosier State. We’re taking a closer look this week at Tourism in Indiana, with a focus on the State’s new IN Indiana campaign, coming up on Economic Outlook.