Led by Local First Arizona, the Northern Arizona Good Jobs Network built a stronger rural workforce ecosystem across Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo and Yavapai counties. 

Individuals — Upskill with Free & Low-Cost Training

Explore the available training options that the network designed to help you build skills and move into good jobs:

If you are dreaming of starting your own business once you gain these skills, explore Local First Arizona’s many entrepreneurial and business support programs, too.  

Learn more

Employers — Tap into Funded Support for
Workforce Growth

Tap into resources that strengthen your business and your team:

  • Upskilling and hiring pipelines through local training programs

  • Professional skills training offered by White Mountain Economic Development, Mohave College and Yavapai College

  • Essential manufacturing skills training for incumbent workers offered by Mohave County

  • Childcare provider support (with Southwest Human Development and Local First Arizona) to launch or expand licensed childcare services across the region

  • Consulting to assess your competitiveness and plan for adopting Good Jobs practices

Employers Interest Form

Northern Arizona News

Blog
Keeping It Local: How ESOPs Can Help Businesses Navigate Succession
Keeping It Local: How ESOPs Can Help Businesses Navigate Succession

For Spinato's, employee ownership - or ESOPs - offered a way to accomplish several goals at once: preserve the company's legacy, keep the business locally rooted, reward longtime employees and create another reason for talented people to build careers with the company.

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Changing the Rules: How Local Businesses Are Building Power in Arizona's Economy
Changing the Rules: How Local Businesses Are Building Power in Arizona's Economy

Shifting economic priorities means changing the policies, market conditions and systems that determine who has access to opportunity, resources and economic power. For Local First Arizona, that means helping locally owned businesses build collective leverage, removing structural barriers and creating more ways for Arizona communities to benefit from the wealth generated here.

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17 Million Gallons: How Verde Valley Businesses Are Turning Water Conservation Into Collective Impact
17 Million Gallons: How Verde Valley Businesses Are Turning Water Conservation Into Collective Impact

Since Local First Arizona brought Green Business Boot Camp to the Verde Valley in 2023, participants have developed projects to conserve water throughout their operations. Through a partnership with Friends of the Verde River, more than $150,000 in River Friendly Living grants have helped Boot Camp graduates put water-saving projects into action — with an estimated 17 million gallons in annual water savings.

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Investing in the People Who Build Arizona: Why Credit Unions Matter More Than You Think
Investing in the People Who Build Arizona: Why Credit Unions Matter More Than You Think

Credit unions are an important part of a strong local economy because they are built differently. As member-owned nonprofit financial institutions, they exist to serve their members rather than outside shareholders. Earnings can be returned to members through lower loan rates, fewer fees and higher savings yields, while decisions about lending and investment remain closely connected to the communities they serve.

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Why Should School Lunches be More Local? 
Why Should School Lunches be More Local? 

“You could bring all the local food into schools that you want, and it could still go into the trash can,” Arizona Farm to School organizer Paige Mollen stated. Her point was simple: if we want better school meals, we have to think about not just what's on the tray, but how the whole system around it works. Groups like Blue Watermelon Project and the Arizona Farm to School Network are already trying to change that system here in Arizona. 

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Arizona Summer Savings: Simple Choices That Save Water, Energy and Money
Arizona Summer Savings: Simple Choices That Save Water, Energy and Money

“If you save energy and water, you’re going to save money. If you save energy and water, it’s better for the environment. And if you save energy and water it’s better for the community,” he said. “It’s a triple threat, bottom-line benefit. You’re benefiting yourself, benefiting other people and the environment as a whole. You’re crazy not to do it.”

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What Kind of Arizona Are We Building? Why Supporting Local Businesses Matters
What Kind of Arizona Are We Building? Why Supporting Local Businesses Matters

Indie Week (June 29 - July 7) is a reminder that every purchase helps shape Arizona's economy, communities and future.

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What if Prime Day Were Local? How the Way We Shop Shapes the Arizona We're Building
What if Prime Day Were Local? How the Way We Shop Shapes the Arizona We're Building

How we choose to spend our money helps shape the places we live. It influences which businesses grow, which jobs exist and which services remain available close to home. In that sense, Prime Day is about more than what we buy. It's also a reminder of how much power consumers actually have.

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Local First Arizona and Arizona Credit Unions Announce Landmark Partnership to Expand Financial Empowerment Across the State
Local First Arizona and Arizona Credit Unions Announce Landmark Partnership to Expand Financial Empowerment Across the State

PHOENIX, Ariz. — June 11, 2026 — Local First Arizona and Arizona’s Credit Unions (ACU) – today announced their new, statewide partnership designed to boost financial education, strengthen small business success, and champion credit unions as key contributors of Arizona’s economic prosperity

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Local First Arizona Launches Independents Week June 29 – July 7, Spotlighting Local Businesses Across the State
Local First Arizona Launches Independents Week June 29 – July 7, Spotlighting Local Businesses Across the State

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Local First Arizona’s Independents Week returns June 29 through July 7, 2026 — a statewide, nine-day campaign celebrating the independent businesses that power Arizona’s economy and give its communities their character. This year, the campaign shines a spotlight on Local First Arizona’s coalition businesses, giving Arizonans a cheat code to discover the certified local independents already woven into the fabric of their neighborhoods.

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