State of Workforce Report and Strategic Plan

Economic well-being is fundamentally about work and the myriad of factors that influence workers, their workplace, and their community. The Turning Point board must understand these labor market dynamics if we are to influence workforce, education, and economic development. Labor markets have undergone changes and shifts that have had a profound impact. Movement from traditional sectors, such as textiles and tobacco, to service employment and advanced manufacturing has been occurring; white-collar and gold collar workers are slowly replacing blue-collar workers. Such shifts have raised the skills and qualifications needed to hold certain new service sector jobs, while at the same time requiring higher levels of skills in more traditional advanced sectors.

The board, through this planning process, is attempting to build a planning and policy infrastructure that can respond to the dynamic economic and labor market influences that currently exist. The core building blocks of this plan can be a blueprint for how the board will carry out work on a continuous basis. These core elements include the following:

Data Driven: The board is invested in gathering information about the region's population, workers, education levels, and industrial/occupational trends.

Engaging the Community: The board will continue to structure its work in ways that encourage broad partnerships and collaboration, and engage the communities in planning and carrying out critical work.

This plan calls forth a sense of urgency on the part of the area's civic, education, and business leadership, as well as the citizens in our communities. The region has daunting challenges that must be addressed strategically over the long run. The board will work to build capacity to influence solutions and to help provide the necessary leadership to translate this sense of urgency into realistic and strategic steps towards economic and workforce improvements.

For more information about the strategic plan updates and a copy, contact our office at (252) 443-6175 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.