The numbers are distressing: Some 10.1 million Americans are unemployed and looking for work.  

Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, like other local leaders around the country, is dealing with those numbers—and with the aftermath of 2020. His agenda is clear: Controlling the pandemic and training students and adults alike for meaningful work. Louisville's approach to reenergize its workforce and the quality of life for workers includes programs that prepare people for careers in technology, collaborations with local businesses, apprenticeships, and more. 

Over the past few years, Lumina Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and CivicLab have designated various communities throughout the country as "Talent Hubs" for their focus on educational attainment, racial equity, and economic mobility for today’s students, many of whom are people of color, the first in their families to go to college, and from low-income households.

Now, some of the lessons from these 26 Talent Hubs have been compiled in a 10-step guide to building local talent and to inspiring and informing other communities that want to boost their educational attainment and develop their workforces.