State Equitable Recovery Coalition

Taking advantage of shared expertise to help drive sustainable, equitable recovery and growth after the economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, while leveraging the opportunity to address issues related to workforce, education, public services, and racial and economic justice.

Since March of 2020, Governors have taken action to address once-in-a-lifetime economic circumstances by providing assistance to displaced small businesses and workers, while putting in place longer-term supports to help Americans succeed in a changing world of work. The State Equitable Recovery Coalition, in partnership with Education Strategy Group and supported by the Siemens Foundation, will build on these initiatives and others to connect strategically to maximize networks, expertise and resources on behalf of the Governors of states and territories and the workers they represent.

The coalition will complement existing networks that NGA and other organizations are working with to take advantage of shared expertise to help drive sustainable, equitable recovery and growth after the economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, while leveraging the opportunity to address issues related to workforce, education, public services, and racial and economic justice. The coalition will provide technical support to help advance Governors’ community and economic recovery goals over a period of a year.

“Now more than ever, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to support states building an inclusive and resilient recovery for America’s working families, and that’s the goal of the State Equitable Recovery Coalition. Governors continue to be at the forefront of that work. We are proud to support NGA and the coalition to advance this work and our mutual commitment to economic, social and racial justice for all in the United States.”

David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation

Action Labs

The NGA Center for Best Practices is hosting a series of action labs for Governors’ staff and state teams that focus on intersectional issues with the common goal of increasing economic opportunity for students and workers with low income.

Action Labs:


For more information about the State Equitable Recovery Coalition please contact Amanda Winters at AWinters@NGA.ORG.

Recent Resources and Events from Members

  • Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s Student Parent Success Initiative has published their newest report, Re-Engaging Student Parents to Achieve Attainment and Equity Goals: A Case for Investment in More Accessible Postsecondary Pathways. The report concludes with tailored recommendations for building a more supportive, inclusive postsecondary system that creates accessible opportunities for parents, especially single parents and Black, Indigenous, and Latinx parents, to earn postsecondary credentials.
  • COABE Journal: The Resource for Adult Education is an open-access journal focused on innovative ideas and practitioner experience that supports the field of adult education. The most recent edition focused on immigrant integration and racial equity. Click here for more details.
  • This brief from Credential Engine explores how full, open, and transparent access to information about credentials and their value can be a crucial element of how states can work to dismantle systems that have created the inequities we see today.


NGA Economic and Workforce Development Resources

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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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 ...
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Governors and States are Advancing Equitable Rural Economic Development and Healthcare

Governors and States are Advancing Equitable Rural Economic Development and Healthcare

Supporting rural communities is a top priority for Governors, and states and territories are working to advance solutions in this area, particularly with respect to economic development and healthcare. More ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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