Community Colleges: Not keeping up

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RALEIGH – North Carolina’s community colleges are respected and loved by their communities – 58 colleges spread throughout the state, within a 30-minute drive of 95% of North Carolinians. And they are a critical link in North Carolina’s workforce and economic development. Enrollment tends to jump at community colleges during recessions, as workers – some… READ MORE

K-12: Progress, but a long way to go

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RALEIGH – North Carolina’s spending on K-12 public education took a hit during and after the Great Recession – and it still hasn’t fully recovered. Compared with its neighbors, North Carolina’s spending per student ranked 8th of 11 Southeastern states in 2017-18.1  North Carolina both lags adjacent states – trailing South Carolina by $2,385 per… READ MORE

Where We Stand: Pre-K

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Pre-K Make no mistake, quality pre-kindergarten matters to higher education – it has implications for third-grade reading proficiency, eighth-grade math1 and placing students on a trajectory that leads to a degree and a well-paying job. After launching its NC Pre-K program in 2001, North Carolina grew enrollment to 22% of its 4-year-olds over the next… READ MORE

Community Colleges: ‘Partners of the business community’

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RALEIGH – There’s no question community colleges are integral to economic development – both new and expanding businesses – in North Carolina. “Our work in economic development spans the spectrum,” NC Community College System President Peter Hans says in the accompanying video. “From the BioNetwork supporting life-science companies; to the Apprenticeship program, which is growing;… READ MORE

Community colleges’ multi-faceted mission

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“Community colleges do so many things – it’s a multi-faceted mission,” NC Community College System President Peter Hans says in the accompanying video. “When people learn the entire list, they’re often astounded.” Hans recounts the many functions community colleges perform, including: • The two-year associate degree that prepares a student to transfer to a four-year… READ MORE

More credentials for a more diverse population

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Jim Hansen, Regional President, PNC Bank. Photo courtesy of NC Chamber. DURHAM (Aug. 16, 2018) – North Carolina used to have people without jobs.  Now it has jobs without people, and leaders from business and academia laid out the challenges of filling those jobs yesterday at the NC Chamber’s annual Conference on Education. “Employers are… READ MORE