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ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity

Sep 29, 2021

Director’s Log | September 2021

5-4-3-2-1…Ignition! IEI prides itself on facing forward, looking around the corner to see what big challenges and opportunities are coming to North Carolina, then asking you what we can do… 

Sep 22, 2021

Beaufort County (Reconnect to Economic Opportunity)

Beaufort County’s story is a rural tale as old as time. When many of the region’s large-scale manufacturing employers closed down or turned to automation, young adults left to find jobs elsewhere. New businesses were reluctant to migrate in because of the inadequate talent pool. It was a problem that needed to be attacked from multiple angles. 

Aug 31, 2021

Building With Our Veterans (Reconnect to Economic Opportunity)

Founded in 2016, Building with our Veterans is an education, training, and employment program that (as the name suggests) helps to secure long term work for veterans as code officials of Mecklenburg County. 

Jun 18, 2021

United Way of Greater Greensboro (Reconnect to Economic Opportunity)

United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG), through its Family Success Center (FSC), is helping dozens of people in a single ZIP code of the city connect to economic opportunities. The… 

Apr 29, 2021

Director’s Log | April 2021

The Role of NC’s HBCUs in Rebuilding Post-Pandemic Now that we appear to be emerging from the worst of the pandemic, the impact on jobs in North Carolina is becoming… 

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Feb 2, 2021

First in Future: Sarah Langer Hall

In this episode of First in Future, we have the first five time guest, Sarah Langer Hall, the Institute for Emerging Issues Senior Policy and Program Manager. We talk with her about the 35th Emerging Issues Forum, which happens virtual over four days with a range of exciting guests. We learn how she pulls it all together, what she has learned along the way and attending this forum, what will we come away with. 

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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? 

Apr 7, 2020

First in Future: The Impact on Small Business and The Response

Summary: Leslie Boney, Director of the Institute for Emerging Issues, hosts a series of virtual conversations discussing the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) and some of the ways our state is… 

Oct 24, 2019

Rural Faith Leaders Consider Economic Opportunity Challenges at Emerging Issues Forum

The Institute for Emerging Issues welcomed over 50 rural faith leaders to our ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity Forum on October 15. From shout-outs on stage to our faith leader dinner… 

Sep 19, 2019

Beaufort County Partnership Seeks to Develop Skilled Workforce

For the upcoming ReCONNECT to Economic Opportunity forum, Oct. 15 in Charlotte, the Institute for Emerging Issues has chosen five community initiatives from throughout North Carolina that will share with…