Employment in western North Carolina

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board met to continue the discussion on how to help our workforce prepare for all the opportunities in this region. Board chair Graham Fields explained how the board serves Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties. The board is made up of employers, educational partners and organizations all focused on workforce development. As of December 2025, the unemployment rate in the mountain area region was at 3.2%. That’s down from 4% in November 2025. Fields said the goal is to have a strong, well-equipped, and well-trained workforce. It’s also about meeting the needs of both employers and employees in western North Carolina. During Tuesday's meeting, the board heard an update from Blue Ridge Community College and details about a program for veterans. They also discussed how to incorporate veterans into the workforce and how to continue working with the local government to strengthen the employment pool in the WNC area. Fields serves as the board chair and as an employer in the area with AdventHealth. He said AdventHealth has about 1,800 employees in this region. “We’re growing with our new hospital in Weaverville and we plan to hire over the next couple of years about 1,300 people,” Fields said. He says it’s such a resource for healthcare organizations and other employers because the board tailors the workforce to the needs in the mountains. “It’s almost an opportunity for best practices to work together and really make sure that it’s good for the individual and that person who is seeking gain for employment, but also to our employers and our business and industry in the area that they have what they need to thrive as well,” he said. President of Blue Ridge Community College, Dr. Laura Leatherwood, said 80% of their students stay in the area to work post-grad. She said their goal is to prepare young people for professions that will pay a family-sustaining wage so they can afford to live here. Leatherwood said her focus at Tuesday’s meeting was to discuss their workforce strategy and ensure everyone knows they’re focused on a post-Helene future. She explained that for the region to fully recover, we’re going to need a lot of people working in infrastructure, healthcare and a lot of skilled trades. “We consider construction, electrical, plumbing, hvac, engineering and all of the professions that we’re going to need in order to ensure that we recover over the next 5 to 10 years,” Leatherwood said. Leatherwood said community colleges are a big part of the workforce. Fields added that another takeaway from Tuesday’s meeting was the discussion of what deters people from working. “Thinking about things like childcare, is it available, what is the quality of it, is it affordable, looking at transportation, looking at housing,” he said. He said those are barriers that are important to overcome to maximize the workforce. Overall, Fields said their meetings are about getting updates and connecting. “I think the most important thing is the workforce boards across the state are doing incredible work behind the scenes that I think a lot of folks don’t even realize,” Fields said. The board's next meeting is scheduled for March 24. #employment #job _______________ Follow WLOS on social media: WLOS ABC 13 News on Facebook:   / news13   WLOS ABC 13 News on X: https://x.com/WLOS_13 WLOS ABC 13 News on Instagram:   / wlos_13   Subscribe to WLOS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ABC13Cha... For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit www.wlos.com Stream our newscasts LIVE: www.wlos.com/watch Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 828.684.1340 -- WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954. This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at [email protected]