Workforce Development & Economic Policy

Governors are working to expand economic opportunity and advance the nation’s global competitiveness by developing the skilled workforce and economic environment required for individuals, businesses and communities to thrive.

As the chief executive officers of their states, Governors set strategic priorities to align workforce and economic development activities to build a shared vision of societal and economic well-being. The NGA Workforce Development & Economic Policy program supports Governors and their appointees in developing and executing on these priorities.

NGA Workforce Development Technical Assistance Program

NGA provides advisors and other Governor-appointed state workforce system leaders with technical assistance on a broad range of workforce development policy issues through policy memoranda; in-state site visits and presentations, and facilitated connections with subject matter experts. The team also holds biannual convenings and monthly briefings and issues a weekly newsletter.

Workforce Strategic Planning Collaborative

The NGA Center’s joint project with the U.S. Department of Labor supports Governors and their advisors as they develop and implement their federally required four-year strategic plans for workforce development. Technical assistance offerings include an emphasis on implementation of federal investments that passed during the 117th Congress, namely the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act.

NGA Economic Policy Advisors and Economic Policy Technical Assistance

NGA provides Governor-appointed state economic development leaders and advisors with highly responsive and customized best practice research, strategic planning facilitation, timely information from federal partners and subject matter experts, and other support on a broad range of economic policy priorities. This includes an upcoming virtual event series as well as a bi-weekly newsletter.

Meet The Team

  • Jack Porter, Program Director
  • Sophia Yager, Senior Policy Analyst
  • Eric Aboodi, Policy Analyst
  • Malena Dailey, Policy Analyst

Focus Areas

  • Apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship
  • Sector-focused workforce and economic development strategies
  • Workforce development financing, governance, and innovation
  • Outdoor recreation & economic development  
  • Service-to-career pathways and public sector employment
  • IIJA, CHIPS and IRA implementation Future of work, digital transformation and digital skills
  • Disability inclusive workforce policy

Services Available

  • Strategic planning facilitation and best practice guidance on workforce and economic development topics or initiatives
  • Strategic guidance, feedback and meeting facilitation services for Governor-appointed state workforce development boards
  • Convenings for workforce and economic development advisors and state leaders on emerging issues
  • Regular newsletters for state workforce and economic development leaders
  • Customized research briefs and best practice presentations upon request

Workforce Development Library

Governors Lead the Way on Behavioral Health Workforce Needs

Governors Lead the Way on Behavioral Health Workforce Needs

New research from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing shows that 83% of the behavioral health workforce believes providers will not be able to meet the demand for mental health ...
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Governors Lead on Solutions to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace

Governors Lead on Solutions to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace

More than half of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental health condition in their lifetime and may experience associated barriers to entering and maintaining employment. At a time when ...
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Strategies For Deploying Surface Transportation Funds For Workforce Development And Postsecondary Education

Strategies For Deploying Surface Transportation Funds For Workforce Development And Postsecondary Education

As states implement the IIJA, it will be critical that they ensure workers are equipped to participate successfully in the highway construction workforce and that education partners and the public ...
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Reevaluating Degree Requirements For Government Jobs

Reevaluating Degree Requirements For Government Jobs

Governors are implementing a variety of workforce development initiatives to expand pathways to opportunity and build a stronger, fairer economy. In addition to training and apprenticeship programs, the issue of ...
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NGA Meeting Highlight: How Two Governors are Addressing Barriers to Work

NGA Meeting Highlight: How Two Governors are Addressing Barriers to Work

Even as millions of job vacancies go unfilled, millions of working-age people are either unemployed, unable to make ends meet with their paycheck, or sidelined from the labor market by ...
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Aligning State Economic and Workforce Development Strategies for Resilient and Vibrant Economies

Aligning State Economic and Workforce Development Strategies for Resilient and Vibrant Economies

During the 2023 NGA Winter Workforce Symposium a discussion was held on how state economic development and workforce development activities can become better aligned to meet the needs of employers ...
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State Workforce Leaders Explore Strategies for Confronting Talent Shortages at NGA Winter Workforce Symposium

State Workforce Leaders Explore Strategies for Confronting Talent Shortages at NGA Winter Workforce Symposium

With talent shortages challenging almost every sector of the economy, Governors and state workforce system leaders are focused on boosting the supply of both skills and of workers in the ...
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Supporting Successful Workforce Reentry for Justice-Involved Individuals

Supporting Successful Workforce Reentry for Justice-Involved Individuals

As Governors continue to address workforce shortages in nearly every sector of the economy, state workforce development policymakers and their private sector partners remain focused on increasing labor force participation ...
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Governors Tout Bold Investments in Workforce Development During 2023 State of the State Addresses

Governors Tout Bold Investments in Workforce Development During 2023 State of the State Addresses

A vast majority of Governors spent time during their State of the State addresses outlining their strategy for navigating 2023’s tight labor market, and bold investments in workforce development programs ...
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Economic Policy Library

Jobs and the Economy in the U.S. in the Wake of COVID-19: Key Issues Facing Governors

Jobs and the Economy in the U.S. in the Wake of COVID-19: Key Issues Facing Governors

COVID-19 will have long-tail effects that continue to change the U.S. economy and present challenges to states. Governors are learning and working together to address these issues, as well as ...
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National Governors Association Announces Second Phase of Workforce Innovation Network

National Governors Association Announces Second Phase of Workforce Innovation Network

New Grant Funding Available to Help States Advance Digital Skill Development The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices announced today the second phase of grant funding and technical ...
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Briefing on American Rescue Act funds for Travel, Tourism and Recreation

Briefing on American Rescue Act funds for Travel, Tourism and Recreation

The National Governors Associations’ Outdoor Recreation Learning Network hosted a briefing for its members on the American Rescue Act funds for Travel, Tourism and Recreation. The briefing featured speakers from ...
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Letter on Canadian - U.S. Border Restrictions

Letter on Canadian – U.S. Border Restrictions

At this point in the nation’s work to get the economy back on track, it is imperative that the federal government work more closely and transparently with us and our ...
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State Equitable Recovery Coalition

State Equitable Recovery Coalition

Beginning in March of 2020, Governors took action to address once-in-a-lifetime economic circumstances by providing assistance to displaced small businesses and workers, while putting in place longer-term supports to help ...
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National Governors Association Launches State Equitable Recovery Coalition to Help States Advance Inclusive Economic Growth

National Governors Association Launches State Equitable Recovery Coalition to Help States Advance Inclusive Economic Growth

The National Governors Association (NGA) today launched the State Equitable Recovery Coalition to partner with other national organizations and build on existing efforts to drive equitable economic recovery and growth ...
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Streamlining State Business Regulatory Processes to Support Economic Recovery

Streamlining State Business Regulatory Processes to Support Economic Recovery

This paper explores high-profile state-level changes to regulatory compliance and administrative processes from the past year, and addresses ways to assess their value and the benefit of continuing them with ...
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State of the States - 2021

State of the States – 2021

Governors of states, territories and commonwealths are outlining their priorities for 2021 in state of the state or commonwealth addresses, as well as inaugural addresses for new and re-elected Governors ...
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Economic Development

Businesses – and the people who start them and work for them – create jobs and compete in the global marketplace. Accordingly, a state’s success depends largely on the smart ...
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