On June 15, 2018, ncIMPACT Director Anita Brown-Graham presented her research on workforce development to the myFutureNC Commission, a statewide initiative on educational attainment. UNC System President Margaret Spellings serves as co-chair of the Commission along with Dale Jenkins, chief executive officer of Medical Mutual Holdings, Inc., and Andrea Smith, chief administrative officer of Bank of America.

Brown-Graham co-authored a policy brief entitled, “A Focus on Non-Completers: One Strategy for Upskilling the Existing Workforce in North Carolina,” with NC Works Commission Executive Director Catherine Moga Bryant. The brief indicates that the state is home to 905,000 “non-completers” who have some college experience but no degrees or credentials, and that training or “upskilling” this population may be key in addressing the tight labor market employers are currently experiencing as well as future workforce needs. The report mentions other groups that may need special support to meet future market demands, including formerly incarcerated individuals, veterans, and “disconnected youth” who are no longer working or in school. The commission will use this report to identify key attainment benchmarks and strategies. Meanwhile, she will continue to serve as a subject matter expert for the Commission, which plans to complete its work and proposed recommendations by the end of 2018.