A strong workforce is a key factor in any economic development strategy and the Piedmont Triad Region is known for the quality of its labor force and the training opportunities that exist.  As new industries emerge in the Piedmont Triad and existing industries change to compete globally, talent development is crucial to prepare and keep a skilled labor force.  

Workforce Collaboration. The Piedmont Triad Partnership works with community partners to leverage all of the region’s educational and training resources to transform and create a best-in-class workforce training system.  Through the recent WIRED grant (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) managed by the Piedmont Triad Partnership, many innovative programs and resources were developed to continue talent development efforts to meet current and future needs.

Customized Training. A major component in talent development is collaboration and partnership with the Piedmont Triad's nine community colleges. Working with local industries to establish demand-driven training, the NC Community Colleges’ Customized Training Program is offered through the state community college system and provides free training.

Workforce Support.  Additionally,TriadWorks, a regional consortium of Workforce Development Boards, offers a workforce support system that can meet the needs of any employer in the world. The collaboration of these organizations offer the best resources available throughout the region.  A new regional portal site, triadworks.org, reflects this regional approach with a central entry to workforce resources including a comprehensive Literacy & Lifelong Learning Resources Guide, Triad Career Path – a Career Lattice exploration tool. 

The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) is an additional regional partner working to leverage all of the Region and State’s educational and training resources available through the CFNC.org website.  TriadWorks supports this effort and has provided training to the front line staff at each of the region’s 17 JobLink Career Centers.

Improvements in K-12 school-to-work programs are also included, supported by the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium and other K-12 resources. Activities focus on aligning future needs of business in the region through collaboration with the industry clusters.  This link between business and education provides a vehicle for sharing issues and challenges in K-12 system.