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Workforce Participation Resource Catalogue Content

This catalogue is set up to organize information I have gathered in my own research and from you, the economic development community, around some of the typical structural challenges to labor force participation.  Inside each section, you’ll find links I’ve curated to resources and examples from across the United State and around the world.  As of May 2026 there are about 500 resources, and I update and expand the database monthly.

If you find a broken link, or if you have resources you would like to share, please shoot me an email at kate@katemcenroe.com.  

Each button will open a new window with a live Airtable database view.

Browse, filter, and sort.  No login required.

A few Airtable tips:

It is a cloud based application, so you will need an internet connection to access the resource.

If you click a button, and it takes you to a login page, go back and try again – you should be taken directly to the database without needing to sign in.  This glitch seems to happen more on iPhones and IPads than on computers.

A Caveat about Best Practices

Please note that I’m not presenting any of these examples as “best practices” or endorsing/not endorsing any particular policy initiatives.  In fact, I’ve included some things here I personally think are probably bad ideas, but maybe I’m wrong.

As far as the “best practices” idea, here’s what I would recommend you share when your stakeholders ask you to bring you best practice recommendations:

• When the challenges are relatively new, we don’t know what will work in the long run
• Best practices will be different for different places
• There will be no one answer – we are in a time that needs micro and mid-sized solutions, not macro solutions
• If you wait until you are sure to try anything, it will be too late

Who am I?  Why am I doing this?

I create courses and presentations, host Zoom salons to talk about workforce issues, and just generally keep my antennae up for what’s what in the world of economic and workforce development.

Along the way, I’ve gathered up a wealth of data on the scope of workforce hurdles and the kinds of actions being contemplated and implemented to deal with them.

If you want a customized live session or workshop for your team, your board, or your community, reach out to me.  I can localize the data for you that describes your situation and deliver a framework and examples that will set you up to quickly execute for small victories right now and advocate for better circumstances in the long term.

If you want to know more about my background or get in touch, go to my primary web site or email me here