Workforce Development, Higher Education & 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.

Featured Initiatives

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 117^th 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

Portia Pratt, Policy Director, Higher Education
Sophia Yager, Policy Director, Workforce Development & Economic Policy
Malena Dailey, Senior Policy Analyst
Kyra Gardner, Policy Coordinator

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

Internet Gaming

The Honorable Jeff Sessions Attorney General of the United States U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Attorney General Sessions: The nation’s governors are concerned ...

Governors’ Principles for Federal Budget

The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader U.S. Senate United States Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Paul Ryan Speaker of the House U.S. House of Representatives United States Capitol Washington, ...

NGA Hosts International Visit on Apprenticeships

WASHINGTON—The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) will host a visit to Germany and Switzerland for a small group of U.S. governors to study apprenticeships from March ...

The Government Accounting Board

Honorable Jeb Hensarling, Chairman Committee on Financial Services U.S. House of Representatives 2129 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Hensarling: On behalf of the state and local ...

Cross State Convening: Leveraging Workforce Investment Strategies to Improve the Early Care and Education Workforce

January 25-27, 2017 | National Harbor, MD The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted the Cross-State Convening for the Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) Workforce Project to ...

Promoting Place-Based Strategies to Address Poverty

Exploring the Governor’s Role Growing up poor can have lifelong consequences for an individual and for society as a whole. Impoverished communities have difficulty meeting the needs of their residents ...

Building a High-Performing State Workforce Board

As many as one in three businesses in the United States struggled to fill needed jobs in 2015. Millions of Americans, including at least 5.5 million youth, are disconnected from ...

Governors Help Connect Veterans With Job Opportunities

WASHINGTON—When veterans apply for jobs outside the military, they can often find the process inefficient and cumbersome because of licensing and certification regulations. The ultimate authority for regulating entry into ...

Accelerating Opportunity for Veterans: A Governor’s Blueprint for Pathways to Veterans’ Civilian Licensing and Certification

Military servicemembers on active duty benefit from extensive training that prepares them to perform in a range of occupations and professions. While some of these occupational specialties have direct or ...

Economic Policy Library

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