Registration is OPEN for our General Trade Skills & Storm Damage Cleanup PATH Training!
💪 What Participants Get:
✅ Hands-on training in construction and storm/flood damage remediation
✅ Industry-recognized certifications in safety, digital literacy, and related skills
✅ Resume development and job readiness training from Coalfield Development staff
✅ A Job Fair connecting participants directly to local, hiring employers
✅ Resources and 1:1 support to help you overcome barriers to employment
💸 And yes — you earn a paycheck while you learn!
🗓️ March 24 – April 24, Monday thru Friday, 9AM - 3PM
📍 159 Mate Street, Matewan, WV
🚨 Priority given to Mingo County, WV residents
🔗 Register: /e/general-trade-skills-storm-damage-cleanup-tickets-198220535658
Day 1 of CAN Tank: Sharing Data for Stronger Workforce Partnerships kicked off today with great conversations about partnerships and data-sharing agreements. We shared our own experience from the ACT Now Coalition and heard other powerful examples and practical lessons from organizations like @partnersrural , @theindustrialcommons , and the Collective Impact Forum on how collaboration can make workforce solutions stronger and more informed. 💡
But we’re not done yet... Day 2 is tomorrow, and there’s still time to join us!
Tomorrow’s session focuses on networking and hands-on workshops where we’ll dig into:
• What’s happening across Central Appalachia’s workforce system
• Who’s doing what across sectors
• How we align our efforts to function as a coordinated regional engine
If you’re a workforce practitioner, educator, economic development org, nonprofit, or even an employer, this is a chance to connect, share, and help shape stronger workforce outcomes for workers, employers, and communities across the region.
📍 Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, for Day 2
🥪 Lunch provided
🔗 Register now: http://bit.ly/4lQDxEl
See you there! 👋
What if an old mine could become a thriving farm? 🌱⛏️
At Coalfield Development’s Highwall site, former mine lands are being transformed through regenerative agriculture, fresh food production, and hands-on workforce training—all supported by federal funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor.
They’re restoring land and rebuilding the Appalachian economy, proving that investing in nature is good for people, communities, and business.
This is why federal policy matters—and why Mission Possible is sharing these stories now. 💚
Learn more about Mission Possible through the link in our bio. 🔗
#MissionPossible #CoalfieldDevelopment #PolicyMatters #Appalachia #RegenerativeAgriculture
Last week in Washington, D.C., we had the honor of joining leaders from across the country at the @skillscoalition ’s 2026 Skills Summit ⭐
We were especially proud to take part in the closing mainstage conversation, where we explored a simple but powerful idea: lasting workforce solutions don’t start in conference rooms - they start in communities.
Conversations on main stages like this matter because nationwide visions are at their best when they’re shaped by lived experience. Rural communities have insight, creativity, and leadership to offer, and we’re committed to making sure those perspectives are part of the future we’re building together.
Photo courtesy of @skillscoalition 📸
Yesterday's afternoon session of Leadership Huntington, presented @marshall_health , was full of activity at the @westedgefactory
Our members were treated to a guided tour of the impressive facility, including a behind-the-scenes look at the Blackbox Theater, numerous artist studios, the expansive woodworking shop, and the bustling @mountainmindfulshop screen printing shop. We even got to do a little screen printing ourselves!
The day wrapped with a wonderful Q&A session featuring several @coalfielddevelopment team members, leaving our entire group feeling full of hope for the present and the future.
From our morning session at @mountwestctc to the afternoon spent with Coalfield Development Corporation, it became abundantly clear that there are so many determined, inspiring, and intertwined groups working together for the betterment of our workforce and our region. 🙌 Thank you for letting us be a part of it!
Once again, thank you to our Leadership Huntington sponsors Marshall Health Network and Foodfair Supermarkets, and a huge thank you to Mountwest Community & Technical College and Coalfield Development Corporation for being such gracious and inspiring hosts.💪
Check out the entire photo gallery from the day at the SmugMug link in our bio! 📸
Fantastic day for Leadership Huntington! One of the many highlights was getting hands-on experience screen printing our own greeting cards at @mountainmindfulshop inside the @westedgefactory 😃 🐦
Our friends at @coalfielddevelopment are hard at work doing so many important things for the people and organizations in our region. Thank you for a very cool behind-the-scenes tour of the West Edge! Many more pics and vids to come, including lots from our morning spent speaking with Workforce Development leaders at Mountwest Community and Technical College! 🎓
Hiring is hard. Training costs money. And a lot of support goes unused simply because folks don’t know it exists.
That’s why Coalfield Development, @redfworks , and the Appalachian Growth Fund are hosting a FREE training for small businesses, nonprofits, and any employer who want to grow their workforce, cut hiring costs, and tap into funding that’s already out there 🤝
You’ll learn how to:
- Pay less to hire and train 💸
- Work with government programs without the headache
- Find real support for hiring, training, and keeping workers
- Know who to call when you need help 📞
Each day has a different focus, and you can attend one day or all three:
- Feb. 24: Site tours of Coalfield's Huntington campus and informal networking 👀 (open to all)
- Feb. 25: Federal workforce funding and partnerships 💼 (best for businesses, nonprofits, and higher ed familiar with local supports and looking for more)
- Feb. 26: Local hiring and training support 🤝 (best for employers and nonprofits not yet familiar with WV-level supports)
📍 West Edge Factory, Huntington, WV
📅 Feb. 24–26
🆓 Free to attend (some meals included)
⏰ Space is limited | Register ASAP 👉 bit.ly/4qibpuf
If you employ people, or want to, this is for you.
We’re excited to share that we’ve been named a finalist for the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability 🎉
Thank you to @ivory.innovations at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business for spotlighting organizations across the country working on real solutions — from new ways to build homes to creative financing and policies that help families stay housed.
We know that affordable housing and good local jobs go hand in hand. Through our Revitalize Appalachia social enterprise, we restore housing in rural communities while providing paid, on-the-job training for folks facing barriers to employment — building prosperity for both people and place 🏡💼
Grateful to be included among such inspiring changemakers. Check out Coalfield and other finalists here 👉 /ivory-prize-finalists-2026
Another PATH training in the books - and what an incredible one it was! 🌱⚡
Our Efficiency 101: Landscaping, Composting, & Advanced Energy PATH training, in partnership with @marshallu 's Appalachian Resiliency Center, equipped local folks with hands-on skills, industry-recognized certifications, and clear pathways to employment.
Participants earned certifications in:
✔ OSHA 10 General Industry
✔ First Aid / CPR / AED
✔ Lead, Asbestos & Mold Awareness
✔ Forklift & Skid Steer Operation
Plus @marshallu micro-credentials! 🎓
Folks earned while they learned with a $75 daily stipend, coupled with 1:1 wraparound support from Coalfield’s Workforce Team to navigate employment barriers, build resumes, and practice interview skills.
Marshall led hands-on training in landscaping, composting, and entrepreneurship, while Coalfield’s RePower team explored advanced energy opportunities happening in our region.
As with all PATH Trainings, graduates participated in a job fair, helping them take confident steps toward meaningful employment.
This is workforce development designed to meet people where they are and move them where they want to go. 🤝
Learn more about PATH and Coalfield’s workforce model at https://youtu.be/-bM5DWEVJFI
We invite you to join the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) Ecological Restoration Working Group and the Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition (RAC) for a special webinar highlighting the impact of the RAC Mini Grant Program.
Whether you are a project partner, practitioner, funder, or simply interested in ecological restoration across Central Appalachia, we hope you will join us to celebrate these projects and learn more about their collective impact.
This webinar will take place during the CAN Ecological Restoration Working Group meeting: Friday, January 16
11:00 a.m. (ET)
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WoQ71sitTQe2FUBKVT7oPQ
(Link in Bio)
StoryMap - /stories/063130cc42514ef881ff1291ea7df7b1
(Link in Bio)
This one’s special 💙
West Fest is happening inside @westedgefactory , which used to sit empty - and on 4/18/26 it’ll be full of music, art, and local talent. Hosting a hometown festival in a space we helped bring back to life is exactly why we do this work.
An indoor music + arts festival is comin’ to Huntington, and Early Bird tickets are just $17 for 17+ local acts. When the lineup drops in the coming weeks, prices go up... ⏰
So grab your Early Bird West Fest ticket, support local artists, and come celebrate what our community can build together 🎶🎨
Get your ticket today - you’ll be glad you did 👉 /e/westfest-music-and-arts-festival-tickets-1976745456874
It’s been a year of hard work and positive impact at Coalfield Development, and now it’s time for our team to take a well-earned rest. ✨
We'll be closed from December 24, 2025 to January 1, 2026. See you on the second day of the new year, and happy holidays! ☃️
