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

Governors Leading on Skills-Based Hiring to Open Opportunity Pathways

Skills-based hiring is a method of recruiting employees that prioritizes a candidate's competencies over more "traditional" qualifications like degrees. This hiring strategy can remove barriers that currently screen out qualified ...
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How Governors Are Addressing Housing Access and Affordability and the Connection to Workforce Success

How Governors Are Addressing Housing Access and Affordability and the Connection to Workforce Success

Governors are increasingly confronting both workforce and housing shortages in a whole of government, complementary manner to not only ensure economic mobility but also to make sure businesses reach their ...
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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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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

Projects


Workforce Development Library

How Governors Scale High-Quality Youth Apprenticeship

(View/Download) Executive Summary The outlook for high school graduates who have no postsecondary or industry-recognized credentials can appear bleak. Today, it is critical that young people obtain at least some ...
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Education Topic Papers a Governor’s Dual Enrollment Framework for Success

Education Topic Papers a Governor’s Dual Enrollment Framework for Success

Summary This topic paper details how dual and concurrent enrollment programs can help states overcome workforce readiness and postsecondary access and completion challenges and how governors can strengthen these programs ...
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Improving Workforce Readiness Through Social-Emotional Skills and School Climate

Oct. 21-22, 2019, Santa Fe, NM The National Governors Association (NGA) Solutions: The Center for Best Practices Education Division (NGA Education) hosted a cross-state Learning Collaborative on the topic of ...
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Future Workforce Now State Policy Forum for Action

Oct. 16-18 | Chicago, IL States were invited to assemble teams to convene in Chicago, IL for the Future Workforce Now: State Policy Forum for Action from Wednesday, Oct. 16, ...
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NGA 2019 Summer Meeting

NGA 2019 Summer Meeting

Governor Steve Bullock, 2018–2019 NGA Chair, formally opens the 2019 Summer Meeting, welcoming all participants to Utah and presiding over a conversation about his initiative, "Good Jobs for All Americans." ...
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Improving Outcomes for Disconnected Youth

One in eight youths in America between the ages of 16 and 24 is considered to be “disconnected,” meaning they are neither in school nor employed, and they lack the ...
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Governor’s Action Guide to Achieving Good Jobs for All Americans

Governor’s Action Guide to Achieving Good Jobs for All Americans

This guide offers a toolbox of high-impact strategies that governors can take to connect workers to good jobs today and in the future. (View/Download) Summary NGA Center for Best Practices ...
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Entrepreneurship in States: Fostering a Startup-Friendly Economy

Summary The National Governors Association (NGA) released a comprehensive report, Entrepreneurship in States: Fostering a Startup-Friendly Economy. States are increasingly devoting more attention to an important, yet sometimes overlooked, tool ...
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State Summit on Opportunity Zones

June 19-20, 2019 | Annapolis, MD NGA Solutions: The Center for Best Practices hosted NGA’s first-ever State Summit on Opportunity Zones. This was a collaborative effort between NGA Solutions, NGA ...
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Economic Policy Library

Parents And Children Thriving Together: Two-Generation State Policy Network Midpoint Meeting

March 19-20, 2018 | New Brunswick, NJ Two-generation strategies seek to promote children’s learning and healthy development while simultaneously promoting the parents’ success as both caregivers and breadwinners. The National ...
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NGA 2018 Winter Meeting

NGA 2018 Winter Meeting

Session videos from the National Governors Association Winter Meeting 2018 which took place February 24 & 25 in Washington DC View Full Playlist ...
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Parents and Children Thriving Together: The Role of State Agencies in Crafting a Statewide Two-Generation Strategy

Summary Governors are responsible for ensuring that state government systems meet the needs of low-income families as effectively and efficiently as possible. Two-generation policy strategies can make a range of ...
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Tax Reform (State and Local Tax Deduction and Municipal Bonds)

The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Paul Ryan Speaker U.S. House of ...
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NGA Joins State, Local Coalition ‘Americans Against Double Taxation’

The National Governors Association (NGA) has joined Americans Against Double Taxation, a coalition comprised of state and local government organizations, education and other public service providers and housing organizations. All of ...
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State Strategies for Venture Capital and Rural Development

State Strategies for Venture Capital and Rural Development

This webinar featured model rural programs from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative. It was open to all governors’ economic policy advisors, commerce directors, and ...
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SELF DRIVE Act

The Honorable Paul Ryan Speaker United States House of Representatives 1233 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Ranking Member United States House of Representatives 233 ...
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Highway Trust Fund Rescission

The Honorable Rob Woodall U.S. House of Representatives 1724 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative Woodall: The National Governors Association (NGA), the National Conference of State Legislatures ...
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SELF DRIVE Act

The Honorable Greg Walden Chairman Energy and Commerce Committee United States House of Representatives 2185 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Frank Pallone Ranking Member Energy and Commerce ...
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