Building Skills Employers Need: Carolina partners to offer two no-cost opportunities connecting young adults to employment
Connecting North Carolina’s young adults with high-demand employability and digital technology skills necessary for today’s workforce is the focus of two new no-cost opportunities sparked through collaboration of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), Microsoft, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Across 100 and ncIMPACT initiatives. Additional support is being offered by local education and workforce leaders through the "Our State, Our Work” program and the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards.
A self-paced employability course, 7 Steps to Get Hired: The Keys to Building Your Future, is now available free of charge through NCCCS. The course material offers a uniquely interactive approach to Human Resource Development courses, with guided practice of skills like resume-building and on-the-job communication, as well as a takeaway toolkit of personalized learnings developed by course participants. Designed with Opportunity Youth in mind (young adults ages 16-24 who are not in school or employed in living wage jobs), the course was created through partnership among faculty of NCCCS, the UNC School of Government’s ncIMPACT Initiative, and Carolina Across 100 in response to overwhelming feedback from local leaders participating in the “Our State, Our Work” program. Funding for the development of the course came from the Golden LEAF Foundation and UNC-Chapel Hill.
“Employers in our state have thousands of jobs to fill. Helping more young adults build in demand skills is a win-win for North Carolina,” said Anita Brown-Graham, ncIMPACT Initiative Director. “In focus groups across the state, we heard loud and clear that many young adults require more targeted opportunities to build the skills employers need.”
NCCCS faculty served as content producers for the employability skills curriculum, working closely with UNC School of Government instructional design experts to offer increased flexibility and interactive components to better support Opportunity Youth as they navigate their skill building. Beginning in August, Carolina Across 100 will partner with local workforce development leaders from the NCWorks NextGen program and local “Our State, Our Work” leaders to connect these young adults to the new course.
“Empowering the next generation with skills essential for gainful employment is at the heart of our mission and key to economic mobility,” said Andrew Gardner, Associate Vice President of Workforce Strategies at NCCCS. “Our collaboration with Carolina Across 100 and ncIMPACT reflects the commitment of our community colleges for supporting Opportunity Youth. We are confident this program will significantly enhance their future prospects.”
Employability skills alone are not enough to meet today’s job demands. Carolina Across 100 is also partnering to help young adults secure a no-cost, digital technology-focused credential through Microsoft Fundamentals. Choosing from eight different credentials, interested learners can enter a unique course code to register at no cost. Unlike the employability course that will continue indefinitely, the credentialing exam must be completed by September 26, 2024 through this offer. The goal is to credential 100 young adults in the next month.
“Enabling more of North Carolina’s young adults to connect with living wage employment is an important part of the University’s efforts to help North Carolina’s economy,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “It is exciting to see these new opportunities become available as a result of so many partnerships with education, workforce, and industry leaders, driven by campus and community collaboration.”
“Our State, Our Work” is a program of Carolina Across 100, focused on connecting young adults with living wage employment opportunities. Participating local leaders from across North Carolina set a collective goal of reengaging 6,400 Opportunity Youth by the end of 2024. As of December 2023, they had provided over 6,000 employability and educational services. These new upskilling opportunities will help communities reach beyond their established goal in the coming months. Stay connected with Carolina Across 100 for updates about their progress.