Did you know that high school seniors across North Carolina  have the opportunity to earn a NC Career Readiness Certificate (CRC), a portable skills credential powered by the ACT National Career Readiness Certification?  This credential gives employers and students a uniform, standard, objective measure of key workplace skills. It certifies that a person has the skills that are transferable between industry sectors and across jobs within a sector. North Carolina  is one of eight states across the country who are participating in the National ACT  Certified Work Ready Communities initiative. Check out our latest podcast to learn more about the benefits of the CRC, for both students and employers, as well as how communities can become more competitive for economic development by recognizing the CRC.


Special Guests:
Debra Lyons, Vice President of Community & Economic Development for ACT, Inc. 
email: Debra.Lyons@act.org

Jo Anne Honeycutt, Career & Technical Education Director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
email: JoAnne.Honeycutt@dpi.nc.gov

Important links:
ACT Certified Work Ready Communities: www.workreadycommunities.org
ACT Career Readiness Certificate: www.act.org/products/workforce-act-national-career-readiness-certificate/
NC Career & Technical Education: www.dpi.state.nc.us/cte/
NC High School WorkKeys: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/act/



Education Matters 23: Career Readiness

Listen in to whats going on in education and what really matters for our students and economy. Local education experts speak to you about the hot topics and what you need to know... because Education Matters.

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Special Guests:

Wendy Johnson, Director of Workforce Development, Western Piedmont Council of Governments Wendy.Johnson@wpcog.org 828.485.4273
Adrian Tait, Director, High Country Workforce Development Board Adrian.Tait@highcountrywdb.com 828.265.5434x130
Jeanne Turner-Simms, Career & Technical Education Coordinator, Hickory Public Schools Turnerje@hickoryschools.net 828.322.2855

Websites & Resources
Certified Work Ready Communities workreadycommunities.org/  NC Chamber ncchamber.net/foundation/ncworks-certified-work-ready-communities/  NC Works www.nccommerce.com/ncworks
Workforce development has been a priority in North Carolina for many years. A talent pipeline with the necessary foundational and technical skills for success is a primary goal for education and workforce professionals.
In 2011, the NC Eastern Region began a pilot program to certify counties as NC WorkReady. This pilot serves as the model for the statewide NCWorks Certified Communities initiative. The partnership and collaboration among the North Carolina Chamber, Department of Commerce, Community College System and the Department of Public Instruction create a seamless framework for communities to become certified as work ready.
High school seniors in public schools who have a CTE concentration (four technical credits in a Career Cluster) take the ACT WorkKeys® assessments needed to earn an ACT National Career Readiness Certificate™ (ACT NCRC®). Community colleges throughout the state serve as instructional and testing centers for adults and transitioning youth. The North Carolina Chamber serves as the organization that will designate counties as NCWorks Certified Communities.
The NCWorks Certified Communities initiative supports economic development by providing a workforce with documented foundational skills. Other benefits include competitive cost models through lower employee turnover, decreased training time and costs, and related efficiencies that enhance North Carolina's global competitiveness. Increasing support of the ACT NCRC is a key strategy; the goal is to have eight of the 10 largest employers in each participating county recognize or recommend the workplace credential.

Education Matters 31: NC Works Certified Work Ready Communities

The North Carolina Community College System embarked on a strategic planning initiative called Align4NCWorks to secure North Carolina’s role as a national leader in workforce development through collaboration, innovation and local impact.
The plan is to connect with and build on the Governor’s NCWorks initiative, Jobs Plan and other state efforts, while drawing on the models and ingenuity of local communities.
Best practices that are scalable have been identified in both parts of the State. The team in the west decided to pursue the following initiatives: Certified Work Ready Communities, NC Works Certified Career Pathways, Manufacturing Camps, and the EXTREME STEM Tours.
Listen in to learn about Align4NC Works and find out how North Carolina plans to become #1 in workforce development.
Co-hosts:Tracy Hall, Director of Education Matters
Todd Ashworth, Financial Planner with Renaissance Financial and member of Hickory Young Professionals
Special Guests: Dr. Matthew Meyer, Associate Vice President for STEM Innovations, North Carolina Community College System meyerm@nccommunitycolleges.edu 919.807.7155
Websites & Resources

NC Community Colleges
Align4NCWorks
CVCC’s Best Practice
NC Works

 

Education Matters 30: Ensuring That NC is #1 in Workforce

Catawba Careers is an innovative video driven website created as a new media option to post and advertise career opportunities in the Catawba Valley. The website features Hot Job! Videos specific to local positions featuring people who are currently working for area businesses. These videos are designed to appeal to young adults in high school, college, and beyond. The intention is to bring a greater awareness of our local companies and the positions available with links to the education and training required.
The Hot Job! Videos and the Catawba Careers website are tools that teachers, guidance counselors, career coaches, and career centers can use to connect students to local careers. The site is complete with current job openings, career related news and events, resources for career exploration and preparation, and so much more!
Education Matters, Jackson Group Interactive, Catawba Valley Community College, Catawba Chamber of Commerce, Innovate Catawba, and Hickory Young Professionals work collaboratively to develop the website and videos.
Co-hosts:
Tracy Hall, Director of Education Matters
Todd Ashworth, Financial Planner with Renaissance Financial and member of the Hickory Young Professionals
Special Guests:
Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, President, Catawba Valley Community College
ghinshaw@cvcc.edu
Alan Jackson, President/CEO, Jackson Group Interactive
ajackson@jginteractive.com
Websites & Resources
Catawba Careers www.catawbacareers.com
Catawba Community College www.cvcc.edu
Jackson Group Interactive www.jginteractive.com

Education Matters 29: Catawba Careers & Hot Job Videos!


Hickory Young Professionals recently recognized the Top 10 Under 40 in Catawba County.  Education Matters hosts Tracy Hall & Todd Ashworth welcome as in-studio guests 2 of those 10 young professionals (Lindsay Keisler & Heather Benfield) who are making a positive impact in their careers as well as their community.  Find out why they were chosen for this honor and the ways that they would like to see other young professionals get involved in education and community leadership roles.
 

Websites & Resources
 
Hickory Young Professionals http://www.hickoryhyp.com
 
Challenger High School http://www.catawbaschools.net/schools/Challenger/default.aspx
 
Catawba County Chamber of Commerce http://www.catawbachamber.org/
 
 

Education Matters 28: Young Professionals Making An Impact


Education Matters is back and now in full implementation. This episode's guests have been working diligently to implement the innovative ways we are connecting students from 8th grade to 12th grade to local career opportunities, while helping them to be aware of the training and education needed for those jobs.
 
Special Guests:
Trina Williams, Career & Technical Coordinator for Hickory Public Schools
williamstr@hickoryschools.net
 
Jeanne Turner Simms, Career Development Coordinator for Hickory High School
turnerje@hickoryschools.net
 
Cole Lackey, Senior Class President at Hickory High School
 
Website & Resources
 
http://www.hickoryschools.net
http://www.hickoryhyp.com
 
 
 
 

Education Matters 23: Career Readiness

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