Supported by Truist Foundation, the initiative will help rural partners co-design workforce pathways that connect learners to high-demand careers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 19, 2026) — Education Design Lab (the Lab) today announced the selection of five rural-serving workforce collaboratives to participate in Strengthening the Rural Workforce through Collaborative Design, a new initiative focused on designing equitable reskilling and upskilling pathways that respond directly to regional employer needs.
The collaboratives represent cross-sector partnerships that include community colleges, employers, workforce organizations, and community partners working together to strengthen talent pipelines in rural communities across the Southeastern United States.
The selected collaboratives include:
- Americus Sumter Rural Workforce Collaborative, Georgia
- Appalachian Gateway Workforce and Jobs Collaborative, Kentucky
- BridgeValley Community and Technical College, West Virginia
- Rural Opportunity Institute, North Carolina
- Southwest Georgia Rural Industry and Skills Empowerment (SWGA RISE), Georgia
Over the next 18 to 24 months, each collaborative will participate in a human-centered design process facilitated by the Lab, culminating in one or more ready-to-launch prototype workforce pathways aligned with local industry demand. Each collaborative will also receive $50,000 in catalytic implementation funding to pilot locally designed solutions.
Why it matters
Across the Southeast, rural communities are working to strengthen workforce pipelines while navigating challenges such as fragmented partnerships, limited resources, and barriers that make it harder for learners and workers to access education and training opportunities.
Through this initiative, the Lab will partner with rural regions to help align employers, education providers, and workforce partners around shared goals — ensuring that workforce pathways are both responsive to employer demand and accessible to the learners who need them most.
“Rural communities are strongest when they work together, but workforce systems are too often fragmented and disconnected from the lived experiences of rural learners,” said Senior Education Design Dr. Matt Newlin, who leads rural-focused initiatives at the Lab. “This project brings employers, colleges, and community partners to the table from the start, using human-centered design to co-design pathways to good jobs while also strengthening the entire regional ecosystem.”
“Education Design Lab’s leadership in reaching this milestone underscores the impact of thoughtful, community‑driven design,” said head of Truist Philanthropy and president of Truist Foundation Lynette Bell. “At Truist Foundation, we believe lasting economic mobility is built when employers, educators, and communities design solutions together — and this initiative reflects that belief in action. We are proud to support efforts that bring our purpose to life, connecting people to opportunity today and helping rural regions thrive for the long term.”
Why we selected these collaboratives
Americus Sumter Rural Workforce Collaborative (Georgia)
This collaborative stands out for its “ready-to-go” energy and deeply interconnected leadership. We were struck by the high level of synergy between the City of Americus and Sumter County. Their strength lies in a unified community vision that treats local government and educational partners as a single, cohesive unit.
Appalachian Gateway Workforce and Jobs Collaborative (Kentucky)
The Appalachian Gateway collaborative offers a critical look at the unique economic landscape of Rockcastle, Lincoln, and Garrard counties. They are deeply attuned to the specific barriers of the Appalachian region and have shown a dedicated commitment to creating pathways that honor local heritage while preparing learners for modern job markets.
BridgeValley Community and Technical College (West Virginia)
BridgeValley brings a sharp, industry-aligned focus to the cohort, particularly with their emphasis on high-demand certifications like AWS and API standards. We were impressed by their sophisticated thinking around the “single door” approach to financial navigation — coordinating various funding streams (Pell, WIOA, and employer support), so the learner-earner doesn’t have to navigate the bureaucracy alone. Their selection is rooted in their commitment to lowering technical and financial barriers for learners in Fayette, Kanawha, and surrounding counties.
Rural Opportunity Institute (North Carolina)
The Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI) is a masterclass in regional structure and data-informed practice. They have built a unique, replicable model that bridges Edgecombe County and its neighbors through a strong “equity-first” lens. We selected ROI because of their mature data practices and their ability to translate complex community needs into actionable design prototypes.
Southwest Georgia Rural Industry and Skills Empowerment (SWGA RISE)
SWGA RISE represents the power of regionalism. By spanning seven counties, they tackle the “rural sprawl” challenge head-on. Their application demonstrated a clear understanding of how industry needs and worker skills must align across a broad geographic footprint.
Each collaborative includes a community college as a central partner and engages multiple sectors — such as employers, workforce boards, K–12 systems, local governments, and nonprofit organizations — to ensure workforce strategies reflect regional needs.
What’s next
Beginning in spring 2026, partners will participate in the Lab’s Rural Workforce Design Cohort, which includes design sprints, technical assistance, peer learning, and implementation support.
Throughout the process, collaboratives will work together to:
- Identify key workforce challenges and opportunities in their region
- Engage learners, employers, and community members in co-design
- Develop prototype workforce pathways aligned to high-demand careers
- Pilot new approaches that expand equitable access to reskilling and upskilling opportunities
The initiative will also generate insights and scalable models to help inform the national conversation on how to strengthen regional economics through collaboration.
Strengthening the Rural Workforce through Collaborative Design is supported by Truist Foundation, whose investments focus on expanding career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses and communities.
About Truist Foundation
Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE:TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The Foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all communities have an opportunity to thrive. Embodying these focus areas are the Foundation’s leading initiatives — the Inspire Awards and Where It Starts. Learn more at Truistfoundation.org.
About Education Design Lab
Education Design Lab (the Lab) is a national nonprofit and intermediary with a mission to co-design an inclusive, skills-based, learn-and-work system with and for New Majority Learner-Earners that facilitates upward mobility and closes opportunity gaps. Learn more: www.eddesignlab.org.
