Building a Workforce Advantage, Not Waiting for One

Thanks to intentional, market-based policy and conservative leadership, North Carolina has once again earned national recognition — this time as the Top State for Workforce Development in 2026, according to Site Selection magazine’s Bright Horizons rankings.

Site Selection evaluates states using a broad set of long-term indicators, including credentials and degree attainment, labor productivity, return on training investments, and alignment between education and employer needs.

North Carolina is preparing the workforce for 21st-century jobs in industries where innovation, technology, and advanced skills matter. In 2025 alone, North Carolina:

• Expanded NCWorks Career Centers, reaching tens of thousands of jobseekers and connecting them with employers statewide.

• Strengthened apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship requirements — ensuring that federal workforce funds directly support on-the-job learning.

• Focused on veteran employment, reentry programs, and early education access, broadening the talent pipeline and removing barriers to opportunity.

A key reason North Carolina rises to the top is its education-to-employment integration. Public schools are producing record graduation rates and increased participation in Career & Technical Education (CTE), tailoring programs that produce job-ready graduates.

Programs such as NCEdge Customized Training, ApprenticeshipNC  and the Small Business Center Network show how institutions work directly with companies to create talent pipelines that solve workforce needs.

More than just training, this alignment drives economic growth. Customized workforce solutions have supported hundreds of companies and helped create thousands of jobs with billions in capital investment.

In today’s economic climate, companies choose locations where they can access skilled talent — not just low costs. North Carolina’s #1 workforce development ranking signals that the state delivers both quality talent and strategic support for employers expanding or relocating here.

This recognition follows North Carolina’s recent distinction as America’s Top State for Business, underlining a broader economic environment where growth and workforce readiness go hand-in-hand.

In other words, North Carolina didn’t get to #1 by accident. It got there by design.