The national nonprofit America Achieves recently launched the Good Jobs Economy initiative to work alongside a bipartisan group of governors and other leaders from states and local regions to connect residents to good jobs while helping employers access skilled talent, according to a press release.
It’s about building talent systems that deliver good jobs, says the website, and North Carolina is especially well positioned to do that given our 58 community colleges and Gov. Josh Stein’s emphasis on workforce development.
The vision of America Achieves “is to help local communities and states ensure everyone has a clear path to a good job, no matter who they are, where they live, and whether or not they have a college degree.”
Good jobs are a critical piece of recovery in western North Carolina (WNC), as the region looks forward after Hurricane Helene caused unprecedented damage one year ago.
Jon Schnur, the CEO of America Achieves, is known for initiatives that scale economic mobility. Over the summer, from tourism and outdoor recreation in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, to coffee shops and food trucks in Canton and Spruce Pine and Burnsville, Schnur was in North Carolina to help local community college leaders and state and national philanthropists dream big when it comes to recovery.
Nationally, Schnur’s goal is to have 10,000 people identified, trained, and hired into good jobs by 2030.
“We need local, state, and national organizations and leaders to step up and invest in the communities and the hard-working people of western North Carolina, giving local residents access to good jobs and the opportunity to rebuild the local economy,” Schnur said.
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Reigniting the American Dream
The NGA (National Governors Association) Chair’s Initiative has issued a call to action to invest in people, strengthen state economies, partner with the Good Jobs Economy initiative, and ensure every American has access to a good job and a better future, according to this press release.
It’s an effort — developed in close partnership with Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, the new chair of the NGA, and Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, the new deputy chair of the association — that is intended to modernize talent systems at the state and regional levels that create pathways to good jobs. These are jobs in in-demand fields that pay people family-sustaining wages, with opportunities for advancement.
According to America Achieves, the Good Jobs Economy initiative will also help states make “effective use of newly enacted Workforce Pell Grant funding.’’ Workforce Pell is an initiative that was recently enacted by Congress to help students, for the first time, pay for short-term job training programs starting July 1, 2026. This new law also empowers governors to shape those programs in their states that are eligible for workforce Pell funds, says the organization.
“A Good Jobs Economy is essential to reigniting the American Dream,” Stitt said. “This year, I’m challenging every governor to build strong bridges between millions of Americans seeking good jobs and the employers eager to hire them.”
“We need to think boldly and act urgently,” he said.
It’s an invitation for every U.S. governor to:
Step out of partisan corners and into a shared vision;
Examine the obstacles and confront the challenges that limit individual and collective opportunity;
Leverage our resources and relationships (domestic & global) to learn, compare, and innovate;
Move beyond rhetoric and develop transformative practices and policies; and
Clear a path for millions more Americans to dream — and achieve.
— The National Governors Association
NGA is focusing on three core areas:
Unlocking economic opportunity by advancing the American Dream through entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic mobility;
Empowering every learner by reimagining education to equip every learner — at every age — for success in a changing world; and
Powering America’s next chapter from AI innovation to energy independence.
Stitt and Schnur are encouraging states to consider establishing what are called Good Jobs Funds to support scalable, high-impact workforce solutions.
Oklahoma has committed an initial $19 million to start this work, and Maryland is in for $25 million in public funds and $15 million in philanthropic support.
How exactly do you modernize talent systems?
The Good Jobs Economy has a practical, strategic framework that it uses to work with partners to modernize talent systems.
Step 1 | Generate ongoing labor market analyses that, by industry, include employer demand, talent supply, and priority gaps in specific jobs and skills;
Step 2 | Set and track measurable outcome goals, including attainment of good jobs, wage growth, and attainment of credentials of value;
Step 3 | Fund and scale programs and career pathways that are aligned to employer hiring needs for good jobs;
Step 4 | Build the capacity of industry partnerships and workforce intermediaries; and
Step 5 | Establish strong, adequately resourced governance structures.
The Good Jobs Economy layers other supports on top of the framework to ensure success, including the design and launch of a Good Jobs Fund, access to a national learning network, hands-on guidance to help states leverage public funding streams, and the development of long-term economic and talent goals.
Jon Schnur at Mountain Heritage High School sporting a DT’s Blue Ridge Java T-shirt. Mebane Rash/EdNC
Schnur and America Achieves welcome conversations with funders and state leaders to support scaling the Good Jobs Economy work and partnerships in North Carolina and beyond, according to the press release.
“This effort is about turning economic promise into real opportunity,” Schnur said. “It’s about expanding the middle class, and ensuring businesses can build and grow by accessing the talent they need, and ensuring that more Americans can achieve the dignity and security of a good job.”
Editor’s Note: The N.C. Press Association has awarded EdNC its public service award for our coverage and strategic support of WNC after Hurricane Helene. You can see all of our coverage here.
Mebane Rash is the CEO and editor-in-chief of EducationNC.