Access to quality healthcare is an important part of economic development, helping communities attract businesses, support a healthy workforce, and create opportunities for long-term growth. In rural North Carolina, physician shortages can present challenges not only for residents seeking care but also for communities working to strengthen their economies.
Access to quality healthcare is an important component of economic development in rural North Carolina. Healthcare facilities create employment opportunities, provide essential services for residents, and help communities attract and retain businesses and workers.
A strong workforce is essential to economic growth in rural North Carolina. Across industries, employers need workers with the skills and experience required to fill current positions and adapt to changing technologies and business needs.
Stanly Community College is expanding its plumbing and electrical programs to address the region’s labor shortage in high-demand jobs.
Columbus County leaders have worked to create new opportunities that prepare students for in-demand careers and connect employers with the skilled workers they need. At Southeastern Community College, an apprenticeship program built in partnership with local school systems and employers is helping create those connections.
As North Carolina’s population continues to grow, so does the demand for workforce housing. In Goldsboro, Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne is partnering with Golden LEAF and others to transform a 24.5-acre site into a new mixed-income neighborhood that will provide homes for essential workers while strengthening the local economy. Discover how infrastructure investments and community partnerships are helping address one of rural North Carolina’s most pressing economic development challenges.
As North Carolina agriculture faces workforce shortages and an aging labor force, educational institutions are working together to create stronger pathways from high school classrooms to agricultural careers.
The University of Mount Olive (UMO) has developed a network of agricultural academies that allow high school students to earn college credit, explore career options and gain hands-on experience before graduation. Through partnerships with public schools, private schools and community colleges, the program helps students move seamlessly from education into the workforce.
For years, Ashe County farmers lacked a centralized facility where they could market livestock, host agricultural events, and provide hands-on learning opportunities for young people interested in agriculture. Today, the Ashe County Agricultural Center is helping fill that gap while strengthening the local agricultural industry and creating new economic opportunities for businesses, commodity groups, nonprofit organizations, and future farmers.
The Ashe County Agriculture Foundation committee handles the day-to-day operations of the facility. Judy Bare, member of the Ashe County Agriculture Foundation committee, says the committee meets at least once a month to go over planned events and other aspects of the center.
Two middle schools in Wilson County are helping students think about their futures long before they reach high school through the College and Career Exploration Labs at Darden and Speight Middle Schools.
The labs were designed to give middle school students hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning to real-world careers. Students explore a variety of high-demand fields through interactive modules focused on Biomedical Engineering, Manufacturing Technologies, Electricity and Electronics, Structural Engineering, Health Science Careers, Computer Drafting and Design, Environment and Ecology, and other career pathways tied to workforce preparedness.
Across North Carolina, healthcare providers are facing critical staffing shortages. In 2025 the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded eight community colleges more than $4.1 million total to expand healthcare training capacity and prepare students for in-demand careers to help address these challenges. Funds were used to support expanding training capacity, modernizing facilities, strengthening career pathways, and connecting students directly to high-demand careers.
