An economic development model was formulated to foster and strengthen commerce and industry retention and expansion in the state of Illinois. The main thrust of the model was on increasing productivity, decreasing business failures, encouraging entrepreneurship, and creating a favorable business climate through community support. To meet these goals, the model provides for cooperative efforts among local economic development agencies, community college directors of economic development, financial assistance commissions, and local, regional, and state human resource agencies. The model calls for various activities designed to foster economic revitalization, including the following: promotion of avenues of partnership between and among education, commerce, industry, labor, government, and community-based organizations; utilization of a wide array of research strategies to facilitate the retention and expansion of commerce and industry; provision of economic forecasting data on a regular basis to assist commerce and industry decision makers; coordination of the design and delivery of educational programs that match the human resource needs of commerce and industry; creation and delivery of alternative methods of human resource development; and design and implementation of an administratively effective structure that would allow for manageable coordination of the agencies involved in providing economic and human resource development programs. (MN)