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NC Leads Q2 Update: Strengthening North Carolina’s Competitiveness Strategy

During the second quarter, the NC Chamber Foundation continued turning research into action while earning national recognition for its employer-led approach to workforce development and long-term competitiveness.

In Q2, NC Leads investor support helped the Foundation:

  • Launch two nationally recognized workforce initiatives through partnerships with the U.S. Chamber Foundation and Burning Glass Institute.
  • Expand employer-led workforce solutions through new regional and industry partnerships.
  • Advance new supply chain competitiveness research examining freight, logistics, and infrastructure.
  • Launch an Agricultural Workforce Intelligence Pilot to strengthen North Carolina’s agricultural workforce.

Workforce & Talent Supply

The Foundation continues expanding employer-led workforce solutions that better connect education and workforce demand.

National Workforce Partnerships

  • Skills-First Workforce Pilot
    • The NC Chamber Foundation and NC Community College System were selected as one of two regional partners nationwide for the Burning Glass Institute’s Skills-First Regional Implementation Pilot. The initiative helps employers define the skills required for high-demand jobs and gives educators a shared framework to better align training with workforce needs. 
    • In the Triangle, the Foundation is working with NCBiotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers to identify skills for priority life sciences manufacturing roles, informing updates to the NC BioWork program offered at 15 community colleges. In the Triad, the Foundation is partnering with Forsyth Technical Community College and regional employers to strengthen project management and supply chain pathways.
  • Pathways for Purpose & Careers Electric™
    • The Foundation was selected from more than 180 applicants nationwide to receive funding from the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Pathways for Purpose initiative to expand Careers Electric™ in North Carolina. This investment supports employer-led efforts to strengthen K-12 career pathways into high-demand electrical careers through regional partnerships connecting employers, educators, and workforce organizations.
    • The Foundation was also named an incubation partner in the Careers Electric™ Coalition, joining employers, educators, workforce organizations, and philanthropic partners working to train the next generation of skilled electrical workers.

Talent Pipeline Management® Expansion

The Foundation is expanding employer-led Talent Pipeline Management® initiatives across healthcare, manufacturing, and skilled trades. Regional work currently includes:

  • Rural Eastern North Carolina and Greenville-Pitt County
  • Rowan-Cabarrus
  • Winston-Salem/Forsyth and Davidson-Davie
  • Wilmington
  • The Sandhills

Across these regions, the Foundation is aligning employers, educators, and workforce partners around priority occupations in nursing, allied health, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and electrical trades.

The work identifies not only how many workers are needed, but also the faculty, clinical placements, preceptors, and supervisors required to prepare them. This gives regional partners a shared, data-driven understanding of what it will take to scale training and meet workforce demand.

Go Deeper:

 

Infrastructure & Supply Chain

The Foundation continues advancing research that strengthens North Carolina’s logistics network and long-term infrastructure competitiveness.

Supply Chain

  • Launch of Supply Chain Research Series examining the transportation, logistics, and infrastructure assets that support North Carolina’s economy. Research included:
    • USMCA at the 2026 Review: Outlining what’s at stake for North Carolina’s economy and business community.
    • Wallace-to-Castle Hayne Corridor: Highlighting the importance of the rail corridor for freight movement, agriculture, and economic development in southeastern North Carolina.
  • Through a partnership with NC State University’s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative, MBA students developed a supply chain competitiveness scorecard comparing North Carolina with peer states.
  • The Foundation continues facilitating stakeholder engagement surrounding the proposed Norfolk Southern/Union Pacific merger to understand implications for North Carolina businesses and freight movement.

Infrastructure

  • New national findings on the economic importance of water infrastructure investment reinforced key conclusions from the Foundation’s Water Infrastructure Competitiveness Analysis. The research highlights that reliable water infrastructure remains essential to sustaining economic growth and business investment across North Carolina.
  • Foundation housing research informed Gov. Josh Stein’s executive action addressing North Carolina’s housing supply challenges. The Foundation’s research positions housing as both an economic development and workforce competitiveness issue.

What’s Next

  • Publish research examining maritime supply chain assets beyond North Carolina’s ports.
  • Host an Infrastructure and Supply Chain Council procurement and supply chain webinar on Aug. 11.
  • Dive deeper on supply chain competitiveness and air freight research with NC State MBA students.

Agriculture Leadership

NC Ag Leads continues advancing employer-led strategies that strengthen North Carolina’s agricultural workforce and long-term competitiveness. With support from Golden LEAF Foundation, the NC Chamber Foundation is launching the Agricultural Workforce Intelligence Pilot, engaging employers to identify workforce needs often missing from traditional labor market data and better align education, workforce, and policy solutions with agriculture’s evolving talent needs.

Alongside this workforce focus, NC Ag Leads is also advancing GroundTruth NC, a statewide research partnership with American Farmland Trust and support from Golden LEAF Foundation examining how farmland loss is affecting North Carolina’s agricultural economy, land use, and rural communities.

What’s Next

  • The Agricultural Workforce Intelligence Pilot will inform future workforce development strategies and policy recommendations supporting North Carolina agriculture.
  • GroundTruth NC will identify how farmland is changing across the state, building a stronger data foundation for future investment, coordination, and policy discussions.
  • NC Ag Leads is developing a new initiative to connect farmers with innovators and problem-solvers across the state, with more details to come in the year ahead.

Bottom Line

Across workforce development, infrastructure, agriculture, and long-term competitiveness, the NC Chamber Foundation continues building employer-led partnerships, advancing research, and developing practical solutions that strengthen North Carolina’s economic future.

If you would like to become engaged in the work of NC Leads, please reach out to Meredith Archie.