Strong Progress, Key Priorities Remain: What the Governor’s Budget Means for Workforce Development
myFutureNC’s Workforce Act of 2026 outlines four key priorities to strengthen the state’s talent pipeline and connect more individuals to high-demand, high-wage careers.
At a Glance: Alignment with the Governor’s Proposed Budget
- Work-Based Learning: Included
- Employer-Valued Credentials: Partially Included
- Career Exploration: Included
- Seamless Education Pathways: Not Yet Addressed
What This Means
Overall, the Governor’s proposed budget reflects meaningful investments to expand work-based learning opportunities. It includes important steps toward strengthening career exploration through investments in workforce awareness and career navigation tools. The budget also addresses employer-valued credentials through support for short-term, workforce-aligned programs.
Notably, the budget includes stronger-than-anticipated investment in workforce grants, exceeding initial expectations. Additionally, the budget included investments in partner support items, such as PropelNC and NCICU Need-Based Scholarships.
Resources needed to support the NC Workforce Credentials Council, along with requested policies and investments related to seamless education pathways, have not yet been addressed.
At the same time, the Workforce Act of 2026 is designed as a comprehensive strategy, and fully realizing its impact requires advancing all four priorities—especially strengthening employer-valued credential pathways and building more seamless connections across K-12, community colleges, and universities.
Looking Ahead
In a short legislative session, it is encouraging to see alignment in key areas. At the same time, myFutureNC remains focused on advancing the full Workforce Act of 2026 as a standalone, comprehensive approach.
Our goal is clear: to move forward all four priorities and six key actions (five appropriations and one policy change) needed to strengthen North Carolina’s education-to-workforce pipeline.
We will continue working with policymakers and partners to keep these priorities front and center and ensure North Carolina’s systems are aligned, accessible, and built to meet the needs of both individuals and employers.