Economic Development

Mar 28, 2024

Clean Energy, AI and Growth: Guilford County Workforce Leaders Hold Action Meeting on Jobs of the Future

Guilford County's continued growth and workforce opportunities was the central theme at the “Jobs of the Future: Guilford County Workforce Action Meeting” that took place on March 20 in High Point. 

Mar 12, 2024

Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP) Is Building A Talent Pipeline For Years to Come

Since 2016, the Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP) program has provided approximately 100 Guilford County high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to “earn and learn” by gaining paid work experience while receiving their associates degree on full scholarship.  

Jan 20, 2023

Agenda Announced for the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, Talent First Economics

Attendees at the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum will hear directly from speakers and panels about real measures that can break down barriers faced by workers so they can connect with meaningful employment. 

Oct 19, 2022

Talent First Economics Community Cohort Completes First in Series of Workforce Development Trainings

IEI's Talent First Economics community cohort gathered for the start of the NC Workforce Development Leadership Initiative on Oct. 10-11 in Raleigh.  

Jun 22, 2021

First in Future: Role of Counties in Recovery with Rep. Dean Arp & Kevin Leonard and Paige Worsham with the NCACC

In this episode, we focus on the "Role of Counties in Recovery" with guests Rep. Dean Arp, R-Union; Kevin Leonard, Exec. Dir. NCACC; Paige Worsham, Assoc. General Council, NCACC. Pandemic financial relief is coming from the federal government. We discuss about how do we make sure we use it wisely to make a full recovery, and possibly even come back stronger than we were before the pandemic? 

Jun 8, 2021

First in Future: NC Small Business Recovery with Byron Hicks, Dr. Henry McKoy, and Kevin Price

In this episode, we focus on "Back to Business: The NC Small Business Recovery" with guests Byron Hicks of the Small Business and Technology Development Center, Dr. Henry McKoy of NC Central University and Kevin Price of National Institute of Minority Economic Development. 

Jan 5, 2021

First in Future: Dan Barkin of Business NC

This episode of First in Future we hear from Dan Barkin of Business NC. As the former managing editor of The News & Observer, he has great insight and institutional knowledge about the rapid development of North Carolina, and we hear about his thoughts on broadband, which is a key issue on many minds these days. 

Nov 17, 2020

First in Future: The Ties That Bind Us (part 3) – Zachary Barricklow

This is part three of a three episode series of First in Future, where we focus on community, specifically what people and places in North Carolina are doing to make the places we live special. In the final part of our special focus on what transforms a place we live into a true community, we talk with Zach Barricklow of Wilkes Community College about the regional approach Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties are taking to build off of their collective assets (especially high speed internet) to hold on to young people, retrain adults and attract new residents to the area. 

Nov 10, 2020

First in Future: The Ties That Bind Us (part 2) – Dante Pittman

This is part of a three episode series of First in Future, where we want to focus on community, specifically what people and places in North Carolina are doing to make the places we live special. Small towns everywhere complain about "brain drain", young educated people who move away for college and don't come back. In the second part of our series on what makes the places we live special, we talk with Dante Pittman, who chose to move back home to Wilson, NC, with the help of a new effort called "Lead for North Carolina." And we explore the question: how do we retain and retrain and stop brain drain? 

Nov 3, 2020

First in Future: The Ties That Bind Us (part 1) – Caroline Parker

This is part of a three episode series of First in Future, where we want to focus on community, specifically what people and places in North Carolina are doing to make the places we live special. This episode starts with the story of Hayesville, NC, in the far western corner of the state, and we talk with Caroline Parker of Education NC about her new series, "Anchored in Hayesville," about how the people in that community are working together to maintain their uniqueness and strength in a town that is "two hours from everywhere."