One of the clearest paths to the middle class runs through skilled trades — plumbing, HVAC, manufacturing, construction, and increasingly, the electrical workforce. These are jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, pay well, offer benefits, and are in growing demand. The electrical workforce shortage shows why the moment is urgent: data centers, infrastructure modernization, and energy resilience are driving demand for electrical workers, even as a third of the field nears retirement and licensing pipelines shrink nationwide.

Employers are stepping in to close the skilled trades gap — building coalitions with training providers, community colleges, local government, and funders to create direct pipelines into the trades. North Carolina has emerged as one of the most active places to test what works and model a collaborative solution. This NationSwell Signature Dinner brings together North Carolina-based and national funders working in or adjacent to workforce development, alongside practitioners and public-sector voices, to take stock of that momentum. In addition, the Siemens Foundation will offer an early look at the Careers Electric™ initiative — sharing what’s driving the work, what’s been built so far, and where the opportunity lies for funders to get involved.

Beyond the initiative itself, the evening is a chance to build connection: fostering tighter connections and alignment between North Carolina’s workforce-focused philanthropy leaders.

This is a Chatham House Rule conversation — candid, collaborative, and designed to surface the kind of honest exchange that only happens in a room of trusted peers.