Future Ready Greensboro
Greensboro is the first Family Forward NC® Certified Community in North Carolina
In 2023, Action Greensboro sent out its annual Guilford County Talent & Workplace Survey to local employers and asked them what their workplace environments were really like — from the benefits they offer to the skill gaps they’re seeing in their workforce.
Many workplaces showed gaps in areas like paternity leave, childcare subsidies and wellness rooms for employees. Recognizing these needs, Action Greensboro embraced the Family Forward NC® certification program, which evaluates employers across five essential benefit categories:
- Paid Leave and Wages
- Flexible Work and Scheduling
- Health and Wellness Benefits
- Child Care Supports
- Accommodations and Supports
Because of our 16-month effort collective effort of reaching out to business and community leaders, Greensboro is proud to be recognized as the first Family Forward NC® Certified Community in North Carolina. We’ve set the standard for what it means to support working families and build a future-ready workforce.
Campaign Results
Through our joint campaign, 82 Greensboro-based employers earned the Family Forward NC® Certification, demonstrating a community-wide commitment to family-friendly workplace practices. This means that 46,518 employees in Greensboro now work for certified employers.
Our campaign created a statewide effect: an additional 10,605 employees across North Carolina have benefited from improved policies. In total, 57,123 employees have been positively impacted through the Future Ready Greensboro campaign.
Become a Certified Employer
As the first Family Forward NC® Certified Community, Greensboro is now recognized as a community where businesses and families can thrive. Even though our campaign is over, your business can still get certified.
Here’s why you should sign up:
It’s business-savvy.
- Greensboro’s growing economy means we’ll have a projected 23,000 new jobs by 2029. We need a steady pipeline of talent to support this growth and ensure success for current and future residents.
- Guilford County needs more than 30,000 people to obtain a degree or credential by 2030 to reach our state’s attainment goals.
It’s family friendly.
- Millennials and Gen Z’s, who make up nearly 50% of Greensboro’s workforce, are more likely to leave a job to gain work-life balance. As these generations become parents, family friendly workplaces are becoming an important part of creating a vibrant Greensboro.
- Guilford County, like most of North Carolina, is a child care desert for infant and toddler care. Increasing child care support has been shown to bring parents back to the workforce — especially women.
Future Ready Greensboro Steering Committee
Heather Adams, Guilford County Partnership for Children
Meridith Berger, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce
Enoch Bowles, Honda Jet
Ashton Clemmons, NC General Assembly
Carly Cooke, Guilford County
Zac Engle, Kontoor
Lisa Finaldi, NC Early Childhood Foundation
Sherita Gatling, Center for Creative Leadership / SHRM
Mary Herbenick, Guilford Non Profit Consortium
Ed Kitchen, Bryan Foundation
Megan LeFaivre
April Larkins, Christman Company
Lecia Marsh, Cone Health
Candace Martin, Action Greensboro
Alex Maultsby, Ramseur Maultsby Employment Law
Andrea Miller, Ready for School, Ready for Life
Mindy Oakley, Armfield Foundation
Elizabeth Paul, shift_ed
Susan Schwartz, The Cemala Foundation
Jessica Short, Arch MI
Cecelia Thompson, Action Greensboro
Ashlee Wagner
Jill White
Marshall Yandle, City of Greensboro
OUR SPONSORS
Thank you to the following organizations for your generous support to make Greensboro the first Family Forward NC Community!
Family Forward NC is an initiative of the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation.
