Talent drives economic success in the 21st century like no other time in the state’s history. Thus, state and local policymakers embrace talent or workforce development as an important component of economic development strategy. Their approaches to talent and workforce development are expanding to meet the new economic realities faced by the state and its residents.

The ncIMPACT Initiative advises communities and state agencies on strategies for building a talent pipeline – including Pre-Kindergarten, primary and secondary education, college, and credentials that strengthen local and regional workforces. Research shows clear benefits from North Carolina’s high-quality pre-K program, but only about half of eligible children are able to enroll due to insufficient funding. Our Data Deep Dive on Expanding Access to Pre-K offered strategies to address this challenge. In recent years the state experienced a tight labor market, so our Data Deep Dive on Expanding the Workforce explored ways to increase labor force participation and support more residents in completing desired credentials. Finally, the Bright Spots Case Studies on Workforce & Education Innovations highlight community collaboratives working together to increase educational attainment and strengthen the workforce so that other communities may learn from their experiences.