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Focus Area Overview

The Toolkit includes six Focus Areas plus a Funding Resource Library. Each section is designed to help rural postsecondary institutions and TCUs move from understanding regional priorities to taking practical action.

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These resources will be enhanced through our webinar series. To register for upcoming webinars or view past recordings, visit the Webinar Page.

1. Labor Market Analysis

Turn Regional Data into Opportunity: Use labor market data to identify priority industries, occupations, skills, and credentials.

Explore Focus Area

2. Community Strategies

Start with the Community: Use regional and Tribal plans to identify priorities and guide institutional action.

Explore Focus Area

3. Modernized Academic Models

Build Pathways That Work for Today’s Learners: Explore flexible, accelerated, IET, earn-and-learn, apprenticeship, and Workforce Pell-related models.

Explore Focus Area

4. Work-Based Learning Models

Connect Learning to the Workplace: Build experiences ranging from career exposure and internships to apprenticeships and on-the-job training.

Explore Focus Area

5. Industry Sector Partnerships

Build Solutions with Industry, Not Just for Industry: Develop stronger employer and partner relationships around shared workforce priorities.

Explore Focus Area

6. Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Is a Career Pathway - and an Economic-Development Strategy: Connect learners and community entrepreneurs to counseling, capital, CDFIs, contracting, and business-development resources.

Explore Focus Area

Funding Resources

Fund the Work: Find funding opportunities and tools to strengthen grant development and resource strategy.

Explore Funding Resources

What You’ll Find on Each Page

  • Why This Focus Area Matters

  • Core Content

  • Suggested Institutional Lead

  • Suggested Institutional Support Partners

  • Tribal Callouts

  • Resources, Links, Case Studies and/or Examples

  • Suggested Institutional Actions

  • Learning Outcome

 

The focus areas can be used in order or accessed individually based on institutional needs.

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