Supporting the System that Trains the Workforce: K-12 Education & the Business Community

Workforce Development has been a popular topic of focus for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce as 2026 gets started. While we celebrate programs tied to the recruitment and retention of talent, we must not take for granted the system that creates the classroom experience that seeds important workforce pipelines.

Education is Everyone's Business is an upcoming community conversation and workshop that will highlight the K-12 public school system's role in workforce development, while also highlighting funding challenges that are making it harder to maintain education related to regional workforce needs. This workshop is scheduled for February 17th, from 11AM-4PM at the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock. Registration is available at this link and is free of charge for those that would like to participate in this important dialogue.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Jennifer Rifkin, Senior Coordinator for Policy & Research for the Public School Forum of North Carolina. She provides a snapshot on where North Carolina ranks among surrounding states in funding for public schools, how funding discrepancies impact rural communities, and what role the business community can play in terms of advocacy to help retain and grow key workforce and community development pipelines.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.