
Workforce Development & Economic Policy
A top priority of the nation’s Governors is expanding economic opportunity and advancing the nation’s global competitiveness by developing the skilled workforce and economic environment required for individuals, businesses and communities to thrive and prosper. As the chief executive officers of their states, Governors are responsible for setting strategic priorities that align workforce and economic development activities across their states toward a shared vision of societal and economic wellbeing. The NGA Center supports the nation’s Governors by sharing best practices and providing technical assistance services to state leaders including Governors’ economic policy advisors, Governors’ workforce development policy advisors, state economic development organization leaders, state workforce development board chairs and state workforce agency leaders. Focus areas include reducing barriers to economic participation; fostering economic dynamism and job growth; and providing training and employment opportunities that support employers’ talent needs and lead to family-sustaining careers.
Latest

Governors Leading on Skills-Based Hiring to Open Opportunity Pathways
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How Governors Are Addressing Housing Access and Affordability and the Connection to Workforce Success
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Governors Lead the Way on Behavioral Health Workforce Needs
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Governors Lead on Solutions to Improve Mental Health in the Workplace
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Featured
How Six States Are Planning To Advance Digital Skills For Equitable Economic Participation

Governors are prioritizing digital skill development across the education and training continuum, from K-12 curriculum to upskilling and reskilling for workers and adult learners.
Meet The Team
- Rachael Stephens Parker, Program Director
- Jack Porter, Senior Policy Analyst
- Sally Rood, Senior Policy Analyst
- Jordan Morang, Policy Analyst
- Sophia Yager, Policy Analyst
Projects
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NGA Workforce Innovation Network
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Expanding Disability Employment
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Workforce Development Technical Assistance Program
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Preparing the Future Workforce Now
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Rural Prosperity Through the Arts & Creative Sector
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Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship
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Workforce Development Library
How Governors Scale High-Quality Youth Apprenticeship
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Education Topic Papers a Governor’s Dual Enrollment Framework for Success
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Improving Workforce Readiness Through Social-Emotional Skills and School Climate
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Future Workforce Now State Policy Forum for Action
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NGA 2019 Summer Meeting
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Improving Outcomes for Disconnected Youth
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Governor’s Action Guide to Achieving Good Jobs for All Americans
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Entrepreneurship in States: Fostering a Startup-Friendly Economy
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State Summit on Opportunity Zones
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Economic Policy Library
Parents And Children Thriving Together: Two-Generation State Policy Network Midpoint Meeting
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NGA 2018 Winter Meeting
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Parents and Children Thriving Together: The Role of State Agencies in Crafting a Statewide Two-Generation Strategy
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Tax Reform (State and Local Tax Deduction and Municipal Bonds)
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NGA Joins State, Local Coalition ‘Americans Against Double Taxation’
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State Strategies for Venture Capital and Rural Development
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SELF DRIVE Act
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Highway Trust Fund Rescission
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SELF DRIVE Act
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