On May 13, 2026, the National Governors Association’s website reported, “From May 5 through May 7, the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices convened the NGA Workforce Pell Implementation Lab.
“Governors’ workforce and education policy advisors, state agency leaders, workforce board chairs and national partners came together to work through one of the most consequential near-term policy challenges facing states and territories: how to implement the new federal Pell Grant expansion to short-term training programs before it takes effect July 1.
Portia Pratt, Senior Policy Advisor in the NGA Center for Best Practices, facilitated tabletop discussions “to work through immediate launch issues and the longer-term post-launch questions that will define whether Workforce Pell delivers on its promise.”
“The Lab featured peer learning, direct federal engagement and honest conversations about what states and territories are finding most challenging. The through line across three days was consistent: July 1 is a starting line, not a finish line, and building carefully now will have an education and workforce infrastructure that lasts.”
“The consistent message…was that Workforce Pell is not simply a compliance exercise, but an opportunity for Governors to make strategic improvements to workforce systems that will outlast this single funding stream.”
Lab panel discussions and presentations included:
- State and Territory Priorities and the Federal Perspective
- Building the Data Foundation
- Leveraging Industry Pipelines: A View from The Home Depot
- Program Approval: Art, Science, and Compliance
- Are Colleges Ready?
- Expanding Access: Reaching Rural Learners
- Making the Case for Regional Compacts