OpEd: What It Takes to Build the Nation’s #1 Workforce
Published: January 6, 2026
By: John Loyack, Vice President of Economic Development at the NC Community College System
When North Carolina was named No. 1 in Site Selection Magazine’s Workforce Development Rankings, it was an honor—but it wasn’t a surprise.
Not because rankings are inevitable, but because this recognition reflects years of consistent, intentional work across our state. Workforce development at this level doesn’t happen through a single program, a single office, or a single decision. It happens because people across North Carolina show up every day focused on one thing: helping employers succeed by developing the talent they need.
At the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), our role is to support that work, not to own it. Our 58 community colleges serve businesses located in all 100 counties, and they are the reason North Carolina continues to compete and win in an increasingly complex, fast-moving economy.
This ranking is best understood as a reflection of how our workforce ecosystem functions in practice. Employers don’t experience workforce development as separate programs or agencies, they experience it as responsiveness, reliability, and results. When a company needs to launch a new facility, adopt advanced technology, or strengthen its talent pipeline, our colleges meet them where they are and build solutions around real workforce needs.
That work takes many forms. NCEdge Customized Training helps companies upskill and reskill their workforce, often on tight timelines and in highly technical environments.
ApprenticeshipNC connects paid, on-the-job learning with classroom instruction, creating durable talent pipelines and improving retention. Through the Small Business Center Network, entrepreneurs and small businesses receive guidance, training, and access-to-capital support that fuels local job creation. BioNetwork provides specialized training and biomanufacturing support that enables life sciences companies to innovate and scale.
Individually, these efforts matter. Together, they form an integrated approach that allows North Carolina to support companies from startup through expansion, and to do so at scale.
What makes this system work, however, is not structure alone. It’s the people that do the work.
This recognition belongs to the college economic development teams who walk factory floors, respond to last-minute calls, adjust training plans, and find solutions when the stakes are high. It belongs to instructors who adapt curriculum to evolving technologies. It belongs to presidents and college leaders who prioritize employer engagement alongside student success. And it belongs to System Office staff who work behind the scenes to align resources, remove barriers, and support the work happening locally every day.
It also reflects the strength of our partnerships. Employers who invest in their workforce. Economic development professionals who collaborate across jurisdictions. State and regional partners who align policy, infrastructure, and talent strategies. Site selectors who hold states to high standards and expect results. Workforce development at this level is collaborative by necessity, and North Carolina has built a culture that values that collaboration.
Rankings matter because they influence real decisions. Companies use them to evaluate risk, readiness, and long-term competitiveness. But the work matters more. The work is what ensures that when a company chooses North Carolina, they find not just talent, but a system ready to support their growth.
Being named No. 1 is a moment worth recognizing. It’s also a reminder of the responsibility that comes with it. Our charge now is the same as it has always been: stay responsive, stay collaborative, and keep building a workforce that meets the needs of a changing economy.
If there is one takeaway from this recognition, it’s this: North Carolina’s workforce success is not the result of a single effort, it is the outcome of a statewide network committed to getting it right, together.
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