The NGA Center for Best Practices will host the 2024 Fall Workforce Development Policy Institute in Mystic, Connecticut at the end of October. The Institute brings together Governors’ Workforce Development Policy Advisors and Governor-appointed workforce development policymakers within agencies and Governors’ Workforce Development Boards to share challenges and best practices and engage with subject matter experts and policymakers across all levels of government. Governors have taken recent actions to support workforce development, highlighted here and to be discussed at the Institute:
Arizona: Talent Ready AZ
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs launched the Talent Ready AZ Initiative to coordinate cabinet resources and leadership behind connecting Arizonans to the education and training they need to secure good-paying jobs and fill growing industry needs. As part of this announcement, the Governor signed an executive order announcing the initiative and creating the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, a group of 18 agencies and offices that will execute the Governor’s workforce development policy agenda and lead stakeholder engagement across state government. The executive order also directs state agencies receiving funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act to allocate at least 1% of allowable program funds for workforce development.
Georgia: Governor’s Workforce Summit
Governor Brian Kemp delivered the keynote address at the second annual Governor’s Workforce Summit, during which he announced that Georgia has been named the No. 1 state for business for the 11th consecutive year by Area Development magazine. He also provided an update on the state of Georgia MATCH and other state efforts to strengthen workforce development while putting forth the goal of making Georgia the Top State for Talent.
Michigan: Maritime Manufacturing (M3) Initiative Announced
Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Labor to officially launch the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing (M3) Initiative, a more than $50 million partnership aimed at building a workforce ready to lead the future of defense manufacturing. The M3 Initiative will focus on training workers in critical skills for maritime construction, particularly in maritime welding and machining, through local community colleges.
“As we invest in training the next generation of workers, we send a clear message to manufacturers across the nation: come to Michigan. Here, we make stuff—whether it’s ships, semiconductor chips, or potato chips. We have the grit and know-how to produce anything America needs.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Nevada: Funding for Workforce Training in Logistics, Nursing, Mining
The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development Board recently approved nearly $1.7 million from the Workforce Innovations for a New Nevada fund to support three industry-led workforce training programs that will bolster training in logistics, nursing and mining.
New York: ON-RAMP Program to Provide $200M for Advanced Manufacturing Careers
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of her signature One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships (ON-RAMP) program, a $200 million investment to help fund a network of four new workforce development centers in strategic high impact locations in Upstate New York. The Centers will bring together industry, academia, social services, and community organizations to provide skills training and wraparound supports to empower New Yorkers with the skills they need to take on careers in high growth advanced manufacturing industries like semiconductors. Governor Hochul recently joined U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the American Federation of Teachers, and Micron Technology to celebrate a related semiconductor workforce training pilot in Syracuse, New York.
Tennessee: Highlighting Continued Investment in Workforce Development
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee highlighted investments in workforce development at the 2024 Governor’s Rural Opportunity Summit. Governor Lee discussed the prioritization of career and technical education through the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education Act, which expanded access to work-based learning, apprenticeship programs and dual enrollment courses for trade and technical programs.
Oklahoma: New Task Force to Unlock Student Potential
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order forming the Human Potential for Future Industries Task Force. Designed to unite statewide workforce and education efforts, the task force aims to drive major innovation in education that empowers Oklahoma students to discover their unique talents, develop essential skills, and deploy them effectively in a rapidly evolving, technologically driven world.
“We’re building the best workforce in the nation, and that means reimagining education to focus more on real-world experience and individual strengths of students in preparation for tomorrow’s industry needs.”
Governor Kevin Stitt
Wisconsin: Expanding Youth Apprenticeships
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced that Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program will add four new occupational pathways to its program offerings in the 2024-2025 school year: law enforcement, fire protection, project management, and barbering/cosmetology. The new pathways, which combine on-the-job skill training with classroom learning, bring the total number of occupational pathways to 83 in 16 program areas. Youth Apprenticeship opportunities are offered locally by consortia composed of school districts, technical colleges, chambers of commerce, and other partners.
To stay up to date on Governors workforce development efforts, please bookmark the NGA Center’s Workforce Development and Economic Policy team.
