Economy

Aug 16, 2021

Connected: Cooperative Extension’s role in digital inclusion

In this inaugural episode of the “Connected” podcast series, host Maggie Woods (IEI Policy and Program Manager and BAND-NC Program Director) speaks to Kenny Sherin (Randolph County Extension Director and the Broadband Access and Education Coordinator for NC Cooperative Extension) about Cooperative Extension’s role in digital inclusion. 

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? 

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." 

Oct 13, 2020

First in Future: Maggie Woods

Recently, many have been trying to help our kids with digital homework, or our local government officials have been trying to figure out how to make our community more accessible or competitive in this digital world. This First in Future episode's guest is the Institute for Emerging Issues' own Maggie Woods, Policy and Program Manager, who is looking at the idea of "digital inclusion." She explores what a difference it can make for our state to take full advantage of high speed 

Sep 21, 2020

First in Future: Cecilia Holden and Jeni Corn

Three years ago myFutureNC looked at NC’s future economy and came to the conclusion that to meet the needs of the future, we need more people with some sort of meaningful credential beyond high school. The Institute for Emerging Issues has been looking at this issue over the past few months, and we’re bringing together a big discussion of all those issues in a few days. This episode features the head of the nonprofit myFutureNC, Cecilia Holden and their research director, Jeni Corn. 

Sep 15, 2020

First in Future: Sarah Hall

myFutureNC looked at NC’s future economy and came to the conclusion that to meet the needs of the future. This episode features IEI Senior Policy and Program Manager Sarah Hall, who’s been has been looking at this issue. 

Aug 25, 2020

First in Future: Wit Tuttell

In 2019, 51 million tourists spent nearly $27B in the state. We checked in with the executive director of Visit NC, Wit Tuttell on tourism revenues in NC are down $7B so far this year with roughly 25% unemployment and hotel occupancy rates of about 40%. 

Aug 21, 2020

First in Future: Amy Huffman and Dawn Gibson

Summary: In August of 2020 the year was complicated. Universities were trying to have at least face-to-face classes, but it’s not clear that’s going to work out. About 70% of…