Heartland Forward announced a new partnership with The BlackRock Foundation to expand pathways into skilled careers for students across the middle of the country.

The goal: Help more young people access training and career opportunities close to home, while giving heartland communities the workforce they need to compete and grow.

How it works: The partnership will connect two existing Heartland Forward efforts:

• The Center for Investment Readiness will use workforce data and employer input to identify the skilled occupations most critical to local economic growth.
• rootEd Alliance will work with rural students to introduce them to those careers and connect them with training, apprenticeships, credentials and employers.

Why it's important: The announcement comes at a moment when the U.S. is preparing for a major infrastructure and technology buildout, one that BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink said will require both unprecedented capital and significantly more skilled workers.

During a Summit conversation with Axios co-founder Mike Allen, Fink described what he sees as one of the largest periods of rebuilding in the country's history, spanning energy, technology and other infrastructure. But capital alone won't be enough.

• "To build out America obviously requires money, but most importantly it requires people," said Fink.

🔨 The challenge: "We have shortages of electricians, welders, we have shortages of plumbers," said Fink, pointing to the workers needed to build and maintain that infrastructure.

• Closing those gaps could also create stronger pathways into the middle class.
• He said some of these skilled careers can pay roughly $120,000 to $150,000, creating opportunities for workers to support their families, save and build long-term financial security.

The partnership builds on BlackRock's broader Future Builders initiative, a $100 million philanthropic effort launched earlier this year to expand access to skilled-trades careers.

• The initiative aims to reach 50,000 workers over five years through training, licensure support and financial education.
• BlackRock estimates infrastructure-related skilled-trades employment is projected to grow more than 5% over the next decade, outpacing overall U.S. job growth.
• Fink said about half of the grants announced so far are in the heartland.

The outlook: Fink tied the skilled-workforce challenge directly to U.S. competitiveness and said he sees more investment shifting toward the middle of the country.

BlackRock is already investing in infrastructure across the middle of the country.

• "Today what we're witnessing is the blossoming of investing in the middle," said Fink, pointing to infrastructure and other sectors as areas of opportunity.

The takeaway: Supporting the heartland's next wave of growth will require more than attracting investment. Communities also need the people with the skills to turn that investment into infrastructure, businesses and long-term economic opportunity.