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.


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Workforce Development Library

Governors, Business Leaders Discuss Workforce Shortages, Opportunities

Governors, Business Leaders Discuss Workforce Shortages, Opportunities

WASHINGTON – The nation’s Governors were joined by Fortune 500 leaders to explore solutions to workforce shortages in a panel discussion during the Winter Meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA) ...
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Workforce Development in the IIJA, CHIPS and IRA

Workforce Development in the IIJA, CHIPS and IRA

This toolkit draws on insight from federal officials to outline the most pertinent programs and opportunities for state workforce development policymakers to consider as they seek to play a proactive ...
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Engaging Employers in the Apprenticeship System through IRA Tax Incentives

Engaging Employers in the Apprenticeship System through IRA Tax Incentives

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 is the largest federal investment in clean energy in U.S. history and includes substantial tax incentives for employers who pay prevailing wages and ...
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Disability Employment

Disability Employment

Expanding access to education, training, and high-quality employment opportunities for people with disabilities is a bipartisan priority for Governors ...
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How Governors Can Execute Their Vision for Workforce Development: Policy Levers Available Through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

How Governors Can Execute Their Vision for Workforce Development: Policy Levers Available Through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

This brief outlines the menu of policy options Governors have available to them when assessing how to optimize their public workforce system so that it responds to their state or ...
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How Governors are Supporting Apprenticeship, Youth Apprenticeship and Other Forms of Work-Based Learning

How Governors are Supporting Apprenticeship, Youth Apprenticeship and Other Forms of Work-Based Learning

Lessons From NGA Center’s Workforce Symposiums By Jordan Morang The bi-annual NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Workforce Symposiums provide an opportunity for state workforce leaders to address the ...
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Infrastructure Workforce Resources

Infrastructure Workforce Resources

Governors and other state and territory leaders across the country agree on the urgent need to develop a qualified workforce to design, build and maintain infrastructure investments. Several states and ...
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Digital Equity and the Future of Work: How Six Governors are Advancing Digital Skills for Equitable Economic Participation

Digital Equity and the Future of Work: How Six Governors are Advancing Digital Skills for Equitable Economic Participation

Hawai’i, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island brought together interagency teams to develop state plans to close digital skills gaps in priority industries, geographies and demographics in ...
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6 States Awarded Grant Funding to Boost Workforce Participation, Economic Mobility

6 States Awarded Grant Funding to Boost Workforce Participation, Economic Mobility

Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, North Dakota, Virginia and Washington to develop programs to promote skills-based training and hiring WASHINGTON D.C. – Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, North Dakota, Virginia and Washington will receive ...
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Economic Policy Library

State Business Regulations

State Business Regulations

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices partnered with The Pew Charitable Trusts to support states in exploring ways to improve business regulatory processes to promote economic development by ...
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Governors Applaud Passage of Bipartisan Competition Legislation

Governors Applaud Passage of Bipartisan Competition Legislation

Today, National Governors Association Chair Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Vice Chair Governor Spencer Cox of Utah released the following statement after the Senate and House passed the ...
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Governors Focus on the Recovery of Travel and Tourism at the NGA Summer Meeting

Governors Focus on the Recovery of Travel and Tourism at the NGA Summer Meeting

A look at the discussion Governors had with travel and tourism industry leaders regarding the industry’s impact on economic activity and job creation. At the NGA Summer Meeting, Governors met ...
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K-12 Computer Science Education – NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

K-12 Computer Science Education – NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

Outgoing NGA Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson opened the NGA Summer Meeting with an overview of his 2021-2022 Chairman’s Initiative to expand K-12 computer science education. After announcing the initiative last ...
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Governors Call for Bipartisan Compromise on Passing Competition Legislation

Governors Call for Bipartisan Compromise on Passing Competition Legislation

WASHINGTON – Today, National Governors Association Chairman Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Vice Chairman Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey released the following statement as the House and Senate ...
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NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

The National Governors Association's 2022 Annual Summer Meeting was held was July 13-15, 2022, in Portland, Maine. Governors met to collaborate on bipartisan solutions to leading policy issues including computer ...
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Letter on FY2023 Appropriations – Economic Recovery and Revitalization Task Force

Letter on FY2023 Appropriations – Economic Recovery and Revitalization Task Force

Congress has been an instrumental partner for states and territories in funding efforts to help support infrastructure, economic development, and environmental programs. Therefore, as you look toward Fiscal Year 2023’s ...
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Letter on FY2023 Appropriations - Economic Recovery and Revitalization Task Force

Letter on FY2023 Appropriations – Economic Recovery and Revitalization Task Force

Congress has been an instrumental partner for states and territories in funding efforts to help support infrastructure, economic development, and environmental programs. Therefore, as you look toward Fiscal Year 2023’s ...
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Learning from State Regulatory Streamlining Efforts

Learning from State Regulatory Streamlining Efforts

A growing number of states are making significant headway towards creating better regulatory management systems and leaner regulations. This will undoubtedly save on administrative costs, eliminate redundancies and provide lessons ...
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