The Connector

With experienced operators, engineers and inspectors retiring faster than they can be replaced, the water industry is facing a critical workforce crisis–one that directly threatens the state’s public health and economic development. Meanwhile, younger workers increasingly view careers in the water sector as less viable paths. In this Water Wednesdays episode, IEI Policy and Program Manager Jessica...

From the mountains to the coast, extreme weather events, like Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal, are reshaping North Carolina’s water systems. Additionally, rapid population growth, labor shortages and aging infrastructure are also placing immense pressure on the state’s water landscape. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2026 Report Card for North Carolina’s Infrastructure undersc...

In memory of former Governor James B. Hunt Jr., IEI is rereleasing previous episodes of the First in Future podcast featuring Governor Hunt. This episode was released on Dec. 26, 2017. Episode summary: Throughout his long service to the state, even former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt’s opponents admit that he was a man perfectly suited to be Governor, and in his sixteen years as governor of No...

In memory of former Governor James B. Hunt Jr., IEI is rereleasing previous episodes of the First in Future podcast featuring Governor Hunt. This episode was released on Jan. 2, 2018. Episode Summary:  As we move into the new year, we sat down with former Governor Jim Hunt to try to extract some of what he has learned during his lifetime – about how to get change done, what North Carolina should a...

Earlier this year, IEI’s Energy Infrastructure Advisory Council (EIAC) released Strategies for Strengthening Our Energy Infrastructure – recommendations designed to help North Carolinians address the energy challenges in their communities and take advantage of opportunities in workforce development, affordability and infrastructure investments. In the season two finale of “The Connector,” IEI Poli...

Financial barriers are among the most common hurdles to accessing education. Earlier this year, a federal law was passed expanding Pell Grant eligibility to include short-term workforce training programs. It was also announced that the expansion of the Short-Term Workforce Development Grant would include registered apprentices who are actively participating in an apprenticeship and are enrolled in...

The digital divide–the gap between people who have digital access and those who do not–impacts every facet of life, including healthcare, workforce opportunities, disaster response and more. To help address this issue, the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s (NCDIT) Office of Digital Opportunity recently released the North Carolina Digital Skills Standards , designed to equip North Carolin...

Great teachers are at the heart of successful workforce development. Celebrating a quarter-century of impact since its inception in 2000, NC State’s Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership (KFP) recognizes the vital role educators play in empowering students and shaping the workforce of tomorrow. Partnering with industry experts and community leaders, KFP offers K-12 educators innovative imme...

Today's youth are the workforce of tomorrow. In this episode of "The Connector," IEI Director Sarah Hall sits down with two leaders who are revolutionizing high school education and workforce development: SparkNC President Dr. Lynn Moody and District C CEO Dan Gonzalez, to talk about their unique model for empowering high school students to build skills and explore careers in the te...

Imagine getting a raise, only to lose more in vital public assistance for necessities like food, housing and childcare. This is referred to as the “ benefits cliff ,” a concept many North Carolinians learned about at the 2024 Emerging Issues Forum on financial resilience. Public assistance programs often lack a gradual reduction in benefits as a household's income increases, leading to an abr...

How can we empower the next generation to shape sustainable cities? In this special episode of “The Connector,” IEI’s 2024-2025 Hunt Intern Katherine Helms speaks with three urban planning experts: NC State University Joseph D. Moore Distinguished Professor and Faculty Scholar Dr. Kofi Boone, City of Raleigh Senior Energy & Sustainability Strategist James Hardin and McAdams Principal and Vice...

North Carolina’s rapid population growth presents significant housing and real estate challenges. In this episode of “The Connector,” IEI Director Sarah Hall is joined by award-winning author and Peter A. Pappas Real Estate Development Program Director Chuck Flink. Together, they chat about the backstory of the Pappas Real Estate Development Program within NC State’s College of Design, and how thi...

Many families across North Carolina are unprepared for an economic downturn or just one emergency away from a financial crisis. According to a 2023 survey by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 40 percent of American households reported they would be unable to cover more than a month’s expenses if they lost their main source of income. The 2024 Emerging Issues Forum examined financial resili...

The 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, Talent First Economics , examined labor force participation and the barriers various worker groups face in finding and keeping jobs. A key barrier identified was access to childcare for parents and caregivers of young children. This episode of "The Connector" features IEI Director Sarah Hall joined by three special guests: NC Department of Commerce Child C...

Over the next three years, IEI’s Emerging Issues Forum will examine North Carolina’s key infrastructure needs as a result of the state’s rapidly growing population and evolving economic opportunities. The Future Forward Infrastructure series will focus on three interrelated issues: energy, water and housing, while also folding in other challenges and themes like transportation, broadband access, w...

What exactly is the educational attainment gap? Why should North Carolinians care and how are we tackling this challenge? For the 2022 Emerging Issues Forum, IEI partnered with myFutureNC to highlight North Carolina’s educational attainment gap and the state’s goal of 2 million North Carolinians aged 25-44 holding an industry-valued credential or postsecondary degree by the year 2030.  In this epi...

In this episode of The Connector, IEI Director Sarah Hall is joined by Forbes Field Associates Principal Ron Painter to talk about workforce development in North Carolina and the importance of bolstering today's workforce leaders while building the leaders of tomorrow. They also give a preview of the 2025 Strategic Workforce Leadership Initiative , a comprehensive professional development pro...

In this episode of “The Connector,” IEI Policy and Program Manager Tarik Woods sits down with Chris Carmody, Executive Director of the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association , and Dr. Deb Wojcik, Executive Director of Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster . Together, they discuss North Carolina’s energy goals, what it will take to achieve them, and the economic advantages of a forward-thinking...

Have you ever wondered where the energy that powers your home comes from, how it is generated and what careers are available in the energy industry? In this episode of “The Connector,” NC Sustainable Energy Association Director of Policy Cassie Gavin and BEST NC Vice President of Policy and Programs Maureen Stover join IEI Policy and Program Manager Tarik Woods to talk about how energy policy work...

In this episode and season two premiere of The Connector, host and IEI Policy and Program Manager Tarik Woods is joined by Dr. Michael “Mike” Cline, North Carolina’s State Demographer, and Alyssa Brown Moseley, Research Director at Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC).  North Carolina is expanding rapidly. Most projections estimate that by 2050 more than 14 million people wil...

In this episode of The Connector, The Collaborative Executive Director Marquita Robertson and Center for Responsible Lending Director of NC Policy Rochelle Sparko speak with Institute for Emerging Issues Communications Director Jennifer Heiss about what it means to be unbanked, and steps those who are unbanked can take to protect their money and get set up with FDIC insured bank accounts. This epi...

In this episode of The Connector, SaverLife Vice President of Research and Policy Mat Despard speaks with Institute for Emerging Issues Communications Director Jennifer Heiss about how employer benefits - such as access to healthcare, retirement savings accounts, and more - can help employees and their families achieve household financial resilience.  This episode is the first in a special podcast...

In this episode of The Connector, Institute for Emerging Issues Communications Intern Adam Sichel speaks with IEI Director Sarah Hall and National Advisory Board Member Jack Cecil about how IEI’s Emerging Issues Forums from 2022 to 2024 all tie together as a thematic three-part series on supporting North Carolinians’ economic development.  Cecil and Hall discuss the goals behind developing this se...

In the latest episode of The Connector, IEI Communications Director Jennifer Heiss speaks with Melissa Hart, senior lecturer in finance at NC State University Poole College of Management and adjunct professor at UNC Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School, about educating students of all ages on personal finance. Hart discusses the role technology plays in accessing personal finance information,...

As the first full year of The Connector Podcast comes to a close, IEI Director Sarah Hall and IEI Director of Community Initiatives Samantha Graham ask the question: What gives you hope? Podcast guests answered this question throughout the year, giving listeners insight into the unique challenges and successes they see across the state in increasing educational attainment, bridging North Carolina’...