Health Talent Alliance

Overview
Our Role
Benefits
Partners

Tackling our state’s critical health workforce shortages

Using the Talent Pipeline Management framework to develop solutions to urgent health workforce challenges.

The NC Health Talent Alliance (NC HTA) is a strategic partnership between the Center, NC Chamber Foundation, and AHEC regions aimed at addressing pervasive healthcare worker shortages in North Carolina. The initiative focuses on understanding the regional workforce needs and developing targeted programs to fill identified gaps.

Doctors, selfie and women friends at hospital smile for photograph together with stethoscope. Happy, healthcare and interracial friendship picture of professional cardiology workers on break.

How We’re Helping

North Carolina is projected to need an additional 12,500 RNs and 5,000 LPNs over the next decade to meet the demands of its aging and expanding population, according to NC NurseCast. This innovative partnership is focused on developing sustainable, long-term solutions to address critical nursing and broader healthcare workforce shortages. By establishing a statewide network of employer-led, regional talent pipelines, the initiative will ensure a steady supply of qualified professionals across the state, strengthening North Carolina’s healthcare sector for the future.

2024 Data Release

NC HTA released analysis of its groundbreaking data collection from more than 1,000 health facilities and 80 health education programs. This information is driving regional action through the Talent Pipeline Management framework and a suite of data products is available through the link below.

View 2024 Data Analysis Read Press Release

Driving Action Across North Carolina

“It is critical that our workforce solutions align with actual business needs. We know that we need nurses – and they need certificates, credentials, or degrees. But we must also be responsive to other competencies and skills these roles require, and work to ensure alignment. This partnership will do that work.”
– Machelle Baker Sanders, N.C. Commerce Secretary

Defining Success

Establishing 10 Employer-led Healthcare TPM® collaboratives

The goal is to create a flexible, ROI-focused, demand-driven workforce system that ensures a consistent, high-volume flow of critical healthcare talent directly employed by top regional employers.

Benefits for

Employers

This initiative aims to address unfilled job openings while reducing onboarding, training, and upgrading costs. It focuses on improving career advancement, turnover, and retention, and meeting diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. By providing access to anonymized peer data, organizations can benchmark their performance against the local industry. The initiative also facilitates clear, unified communication of needs at scale, offering greater leverage in creating and managing talent pipelines, and enhancing the industry’s brand and image.

Benefits for

Learners & Employees

This initiative provides greater access to high-paying, resilient careers, accelerates employment outcomes, and promotes upward economic and social mobility. It ensures students and employees enter programs and careers that align with their skills and interests, while also connecting learners with their future employers.

Benefits for

Educators & Partners

This initiative promotes data-driven program investments tailored to industry needs, resulting in hyper-relevant education programs and a higher volume of learners completing them. It accelerates learner outcomes through cross-sector communication and coordination focused on return on investment (ROI). Additionally, it facilitates local and regional solutions that align with statewide priorities, ensuring a cohesive approach to workforce development.