Local state and municipal governments are also adopting financial incentives to entice workers to move or return to their rural roots. Colorado Jump Start is a state-run program that waives income taxes for those who relocate to rural areas of the state for four years. Businesses that locate in distressed areas can obtain relief from a range of state and local taxes for up to four years.

Kansas has a two-pronged approach. It has declared 77 counties as rural opportunity zones, and workers relocating to any of those areas may qualify for help with student loan repayment up to $15,000 or may be eligible for a state income tax waiver up to five years. Vermont recently enacted legislation to pay up to $10,000 for those relocating to the state who work remotely for companies based elsewhere.

Longer term, both private companies and state and local governments are focusing on training, whether on site or by partnering with local secondary schools as well as nearby colleges. Determining that curriculum can be difficult, said Christopher Chung, the chief executive of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. Industry often evolves faster than education providers. “As a result, there’s always a lag in what industry needs and what the education system is cranking out,” he said.

There’s also the risk that the training is too general for a skilled pool, John Molinaro, the chief executive of the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, based in Ohio, said. He advocates for so-called upskilling — where current employees are trained to take on more sophisticated work.

For students, the training can be high tech. In Campbell County, Tenn., for example, students don technical gear and use tools to learn welding skills with a twist: Their initial introduction is through a virtual reality computer program, said the deputy mayor, Andy Wallace.

Companies are also taking chances on candidates who lack experience. Several years ago, Sheldon Burslie, now 28, moved away from his Twin Cities roots with his young family. Although he had neither a college degree nor a manufacturing background, Alexandria Industries hired him and provided technical, as well as leadership, training. Six years in, he has been promoted and plans to stay “until I retire.”