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

What the Infrastructure Package Means for Workforce Development: Opportunities for Governors

What the Infrastructure Package Means for Workforce Development: Opportunities for Governors

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes new allowable uses for transportation funds, investments in digital equity and inclusion, and planning to strengthen the transportation workforce. (Download) On November 15, ...
SNAP E&T Action Lab

SNAP E&T Action Lab

This Action Lab focused on leveraging Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) to expand access to and support student success in education and training programs that lead ...
National Governors Association Welcomes 6 States to 2nd Phase of Workforce Innovation Network

National Governors Association Welcomes 6 States to 2nd Phase of Workforce Innovation Network

Hawaiʻi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island Join Network to Close Workforce Achievement Gaps by Advancing Digital Skill Development Building upon the success of the first phase ...
State Strategies for Skills and Lifelong Learning Systems

State Strategies for Skills and Lifelong Learning Systems

This online gathering engaged state policymakers, philanthropy, business leaders, and higher education institutions in a unique cross-sector conversation on the future of state systems of lifelong learning. On October 27-28, ...
Western Governors University and the National Governors Association Announce Strategic Partnership

Western Governors University and the National Governors Association Announce Strategic Partnership

Partnership Will Deliver Best Practices to States to Improve Attainment in Higher Education, Skills and Work Western Governors University (WGU) and the National Governors Association (NGA) announced today a strategic ...
Strengthening Employer And Industry Engagement: A Self-Assessment Tool for Youth Apprenticeship Leaders

Strengthening Employer And Industry Engagement: A Self-Assessment Tool for Youth Apprenticeship Leaders

This self-assessment tool is designed to help youth apprenticeship program administrators and policymakers determine how effectively a program is engaging employers and industry to meet program development, implementation, and sustainability ...
Governors’ Broadband Investments are Creating Jobs

Governors’ Broadband Investments are Creating Jobs

Governors are creating new and more equitable workforce development opportunities through broadband investments and new digital tools. by Timothy Schoonhoven, Loren Shimanek, and Jake Varn Closing the digital divide has ...
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 ...
Advancing Equitable Access to and Success in Work-Based Learning

Advancing Equitable Access to and Success in Work-Based Learning

The economic and societal instability from COVID-19 revealed the inequities in our education and workforce systems and forced policymakers to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that programs remained accessible ...

Economic Policy Library

Outdoor Recreation Webinar on Economy Industry Data

Outdoor Recreation Webinar on Economy Industry Data

The outdoor recreation industry contributes $427.2 billion to US GDP annually and its share is continuing to grow. Individually, for some states, the outdoor recreation industry can account for up ...

National Governors Association to Work With 5 States on Improving Business Regulations

Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Rhode Island and Tennessee Approaching Business Regulatory Processes as an Economic Development Driver The National Governors Association (NGA) will work with five states – Colorado, Alaska, Delaware, ...
RURAL PROSPERITY THROUGH THE ARTS & CREATIVE SECTOR

RURAL PROSPERITY THROUGH THE ARTS & CREATIVE SECTOR

Rural America has a robust cultural history that has enriched the nation and its people. Rural America is also beset with social and economic challenges. Population migration and persistent poverty ...
Entrepreneurship in States

Entrepreneurship in States

Download presentation slides here. Promoting entrepreneurship is a promising strategy for states to grow their regional economies. There are a number of initiatives governors can undertake to develop networks and ...
Bidders Call/Webinar: NGA-Pew Policy Academy on Business Regulations

Bidders Call/Webinar: NGA-Pew Policy Academy on Business Regulations

NGA Solutions: The Center for Best Practices, in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts, hosted a Bidders Call/Webinar on the Request for Proposals (RFP) for states interested in applying to ...

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 ...

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 ...
Rural Prosperity Through the Arts & Creative Sector

Rural Prosperity Through the Arts & Creative Sector

Summary A partnership between NGA Solutions: The Center for Best Practices, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) introduced an extensive ...

NGA Offers Strategies for Creative Sector to Revitalize Rural Communities

WASHINGTON — Struggling rural communities have found new life through smart public policies that boost the creative sector, the National Governors Association said in a report and action guide that ...
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