Gov. Spencer Cox has announced a statewide initiative to increase awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which aims to get more Utahns connected to the internet.

The "ACP Act Now: Utah" initiative unites a number of stakeholders to close the broadband affordability gap. According to the governor's office, almost 350,000 Utah households are eligible for a federal discount on monthly internet service, but only 16% of them have enrolled.

Clint Cottam, executive director of the Community Action Partnership of Utah, said many are not aware of the program, which is part of the issue.

"About 65% of our unconnected households are actually because of affordability, not because of infrastructure," Cottam pointed out. "Now granted, there is still 35% that are infrastructure-related -- not getting enough providers and overcoming some of those planning barriers -- but really, it's cost affordability."

Cottam pointed out being able to connect to the internet is essential for work, school and health care needs, especially post-pandemic. He added the State of Utah is starting to better understand broadband access is as important as other utilities, and those left behind will be at a disadvantage.

Cottam acknowledged there is also a general distrust of government-sponsored programs for many rural and marginalized populations. He emphasized community action agencies can help establish trust to get more people enrolled.

He added not all populations in Utah have the confidence or skills to complete the online forms, and networks like his serve those communities. Cottam stressed nationally, people of color are disproportionately affected by lack of broadband connectivity.

"We want to make this a service that is integrated with other things that can help a family stabilize and realize greater economic security," Cottam asserted. "I want people to know it is OK to ask for help, and it is OK to get help."

He said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes funding for Affordable Connectivity Program outreach, which should help groups already working with lower-income clients.

People in Arizona who have completed a registered apprenticeship program could see an average of an almost 50% increase in earnings, according to a recent report by the Senate Joint Economic Committee.

Joann Bueno, director of the state apprenticeship program for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, said people in the Grand Canyon State who are in a registered apprenticeship program start off at a certain wage but are guaranteed increases throughout the duration of their program. Bueno pointed out registered apprenticeship programs provide paid employment, on-the-job training and continued learning, all with little to no school debt.

"It is a program that pretty much moves everyone forward," Bueno explained. "Whether it is upskilling them, giving them added knowledge to become more skilled, it is also launching them into a better career pathway and a quality of life."

Bueno noted she has spoken to many Arizonans who have completed registered apprenticeship programs who call it "transformative." While most apprenticeship participants are white and male, Bueno stressed Arizona is making progress when it comes to recruiting more women and people with disabilities.

Bueno emphasized the programs are aiming to fill jobs in manufacturing, construction, education and added the state is getting closer to developing programs to respond to the critical needs of the health care industry.

"Hopefully, we could get to Alabama status," Bueno said. "Alabama right now has recognized registered nursing apprenticeships as an alternative pathway to being a registered nurse and there is such a need for those."

Bueno observed Arizona universities and community colleges are "banding together" with industry to be able to get there. The department is also working to diversify the pathways for people to become teachers, hoping to reduce the shortage. The new apprenticeship program is scheduled to be up and running in a matter of months.

Women's labor force participation rate in West Virginia has fallen over the past two decades but more are performing unpaid work, mostly as caregivers, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy,

Working women continue to earn less than men, at just under $20 an hour, compared to just over $23 an hour for men.

Sean O'Leary, senior policy analyst for the center, said just under half of West Virginia women are neither working nor looking for work. Most are performing the unpaid work that is the backbone of families and communities.

"If you at took the low wages that we pay child care workers in the state and apply that to those who aren't working but taking care of children at home, that's $1.6 billion of unpaid labor that's going on right now," O'Leary reported.

He argued lawmakers could help women by implementing a refundable state child care tax credit and increasing child care subsidies. Both would help boost household income and allow people the flexibility to increase their job prospects. At the current level of cost, infant care for just one child would take nearly 20% of the average West Virginia family's income.

O'Leary pointed out most women in the workforce still are not making enough to make ends meet. According to the report, 73% of West Virginia elementary school workers are women.

"Women have higher levels of educational attainment than men in the state, elementary and secondary education requires higher levels of education," O'Leary noted. "But they pay much, much lower wages."

The median hourly wage for women workers in the Mountain state ranks 45th in the country and translates into lower incomes and less economic security over a lifetime. Just under 26,000 West Virginia women, or 7.5%, are employed but also living in poverty, which is higher than the 5.2% poverty rate for working men.

An annual report shows Minnesota now tops 62,000 clean-energy jobs, a new state record. Federal and state policies are fueling growth. However, project developers signal a need for a robust pipeline of workers. Clean Energy Economy Minnesota's latest summary says that in 2023, jobs tied to non-fossil fuel energy sources grew nearly five times faster than the state's overall economy.

Gregg Mast, Clean Energy Economy Minnesota executive director, credits the federal Inflation Reduction Act, as well as a state law requiring carbon-free electricity by 2040, for helping the sector move further past pandemic disruptions.

"The future looks very bright with jobs in the sector, and we expect to see these numbers grow by another 6% or more this year," he explained.

Industry leaders say solar, wind and similar projects also are doing a better job in providing strong wages and benefits to those hired to construct these systems. But some firms hope for more training opportunities so they can have enough engineers and other experts design projects in the development queue. While election outcomes could impact certain government incentives, advocates remain optimistic about future growth.

Andy Kim, president of EVS Engineering in the Twin Cities-area, which specializes in the solar-energy substation and battery-storage markets, said over the past decade, they've grown from about 35 staff members to nearly 200. The hard part is finding enough people to fill the accelerated pace of openings.

"It's an industry where people want to go," he said. "It's also an industry where our educational system doesn't have the track record of putting those people out because it's a new industry."

Roughly 40 colleges around the country now offer renewable-energy engineering degree programs. But Kim suggested that many more need to follow suit to meet future demand. Other institutions and technical schools are adding other courses tied to the clean-energy sector.