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.

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State Longitudinal Data Ecosystem

State Longitudinal Data Ecosystem

The National Governors Association in partnership with the Data Quality Campaign is working with states in a new learning ecosystem to help Governors’ offices and other state officials better understand ...
Building Systems for Success: Key Considerations for Youth Apprenticeship System Design

Building Systems for Success: Key Considerations for Youth Apprenticeship System Design

In most states, youth apprenticeship systems are relatively new and are still evolving in response to the needs of students, employers, and partners. (Download) The National Governors Association Center for ...
Service as a Pathway to Economic Opportunity: A Roadmap for Governors

Service as a Pathway to Economic Opportunity: A Roadmap for Governors

This roadmap lays out five key elements with related policy options for Governors to consider as they develop and execute a vision for service-to-career pathways in their states (Download) Background ...
Advancing Apprenticeship: Opportunities For States And Business To Create And Expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs

Advancing Apprenticeship: Opportunities For States And Business To Create And Expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs

This publication highlights the significance of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) as one of several strategies and opportunities that employers and states can implement and offer to individuals as a viable ...

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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...

Economic Policy Library

Governors Engage with Federal Officials

Governors Engage with Federal Officials

The NGA Winter Meeting offers an opportunity for Governors to meet with Federal Partners and share the real-world impact of federal policies. States are famously “the laboratories of democracy,” and ...
Nation’s Governors Meet with President Biden to Urge Action on Debt Ceiling and Bipartisan Priorities

Nation’s Governors Meet with President Biden to Urge Action on Debt Ceiling and Bipartisan Priorities

WASHINGTON – The nation’s Governors met in the White House today with President Biden, Vice President Harris, Cabinet members, and senior White House advisers to discuss economic issues, infrastructure investment ...
Governors Call for Fiscal Stability

Governors Call for Fiscal Stability

WASHINGTON – 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 Treasury Department began ...
Understanding the State and Territory Role in Implementing the CHIPS for America Fund

Understanding the State and Territory Role in Implementing the CHIPS for America Fund

States and territories will assess their competitive advantages, assets, and opportunities, as well as identify what they still need to develop with regard to their regional ecosystems. The nation’s Governors ...
Broadband

Broadband

Access to fast, reliable broadband is critical to households, businesses, and communities in the modern economy. The ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency has underscored the necessity of broadband access for ...
Governors Urge Congress to Finalize FY23 Spending Package

Governors Urge Congress to Finalize FY23 Spending Package

States and territories succeed when there is certainty and stability in federal resources. The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker United States House of Representatives The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Republican Leader United States ...
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 ...
States Convening to Discuss Improving Economic Mobility

States Convening to Discuss Improving Economic Mobility

From coast to coast, Governors are committed to improving economic mobility outcomes for families in their states and are investing in innovative programs—including in fields traditionally underutilized for economic security—and ...
Congress Passes Short-Term Funding, Governors Call for Full-Year Appropriations

Congress Passes Short-Term Funding, Governors Call for Full-Year Appropriations

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 a ...