ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity Community Cohort Announced

The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) is excited to announce our ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity community cohort: Beaufort County, Building with our Veterans (Mecklenburg County), Partnering for Prospering Communities (P4CP), Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. (OIC) of Rocky Mount and United Way of Greater Greensboro.

These five “communities” are actively working to help remove structural barriers facing individuals who seek higher wage employment. Chosen through a competitive statewide application process, the cohort will benefit from:

• A platform to talk about their initiative at the October 15, 2019 ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity Emerging Issues Forum in Charlotte, NC.
• A peer learning network to share with–and learn from–communities across the state.
• Free capacity building activities during cohort meetings, including storytelling, civil dialogue training and more. Two strategic planning sessions will also be available and will take place in each local community.
• Increased visibility and potential for greater financial support of a community’s reconnection efforts.

IEI will follow these communities over the duration of the project, capturing their successes and lessons learned in case studies that will be shared statewide.  Click here to learn more about these communities and then hear them tell their stories in person at the fall 2019 ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity Forum in Charlotte! Registration opens July 15!

Please check back for more detailed stories featuring their important work in their communities.

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More about ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity 

The potential for workers to advance themselves economically over the course of their work lives is the foundation of what has traditionally been referred to as the “American Dream,” but not everyone has the same opportunities to advance. The October 15, 2019 Emerging Issues Forum, ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity, will focus on promoting one aspect of mobility: connecting people to higher-paying jobs. We will examine ways to connect adult workers to information about sustainable-wage employment, identify accessible education opportunities and promote programs that remove non-academic barriers to, and provide support for, postsecondary education.

If you want to learn more about our upcoming ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity Forum, please visit reconnectnc.org/economic-opportunity, or contact Alicia James at ajames4@ncsu.edu.