Focusing on social capital’s impact on job acquisition may reshape the current way nonprofits and local governments approach employment assistance. By refocusing the problem not just on how to connect job seekers and potential employers, organizations can instead look to build relationships that will open doors for employment today and in the future.

Local governments across North Carolina adopt resolutions committing to measures of sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, but western North Carolina often leads the way. Watch our PBS NC ncIMPACT Town Hall series episode on this topic by clicking the link at the end of the blog.

North Carolina lawmakers set a goal of 2 million North Carolinians with a post-secondary degree or credential by 2030. Achieving this goal will keep the state economically competitive with an educated workforce, as well as improve economic outcomes for those with a credential. Education institutions, workforce development boards, and employers are implementing programs designed to help the state achieve this goal. Watch our PBS NC ncIMPACT Town Hall series episode on this topic by clicking the link at the end of the blog.

The bipartisan HB664 was signed into law in 2019 to set an official goal of 2 million residents ages 25 to 44 with a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030. To support this goal, the ncIMPACT Initiative produced a National Scan of Postsecondary Attainment Practices because replicating and adapting innovative and effective practices from other communities provides a way to “flatten the learning curve” and accelerate progress.

Since March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to radically remake the economic landscape of North Carolina and beyond. While local governments work to rebuild, rework, and retool existing systems and services to meet this new environment, state leaders in North Carolina are seeking to learn from the lessons of the pandemic as they chart a course for the future.

In the past 5 years, Hurricanes Matthew and Florence caused massive amounts of damage in southeast North Carolina lasting for years beyond landfall. Municipalities and education institutions in the region are implementing measures to improve their resiliency in anticipation of future storm events. Watch our PBS NC ncIMPACT Town Hall series episode on this topic by clicking the link at the end of the blog.