Mereb Hagos – C2ER: The Council for Community and Economic Research

Women engineer worker working team training together at work in

Why Defense Manufacturing Priorities Matter to Your Region

January 27, 2026 | Mereb Hagos

Advanced manufacturing is evolving at a pace that many regional workforce and economic development systems struggle to match. Defense manufacturing priorities, including accelerating technology adoption and shifting skill demands, are reshaping local labor markets. Yet, practitioners often lack clear guidance on translating national signals into regional action. The Manufacturing Momentum Summit report addresses this gap. Developed […]

State Investment in Workforce Development on the Rise

Economic Development, Workforce

October 9, 2019 | Mereb Hagos

Written by Jacob Stenstrom When analyzing spending on workforce development activities as part of states’ overall economic development expenditures, there has been a substantial increase over the last decade. For the budget year covering 2020, states have committed to spending a total of $1.76 billion on workforce preparation and development. This is more than double […]