NC Workforce Credentials Resource

Principals, Counselors, and CTE Directors,

As you know, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is working to drive alignment between education and workforce needs. As North Carolina’s public schools continue to prioritize postsecondary success for students, various agencies across the state are united to help emphasize career awareness.

Because you are directly involved in shaping students’ future, we wanted to bring a new tool to your attention available through the NC Workforce Credentials (NCWC) landing page.

Please visit nccareers.org/credentials to learn more about this innovative and helpful tool. As you will see, the NCWC Council identified priority non-degree credentials of marketplace value. We know this list will also benefit students and school leaders as you all prepare students to pursue the post-secondary plans of their choice.

Learn more about why non-degree credentials are such an important asset to North Carolina’s students and how NCDPI is working to help students thrive in a 21st century economy:

• Many new jobs require more than a high school diploma. It is critical that K-12 students understand their options so they can pursue industry-valued credentials.
• K-12 students should choose credentials that are industry-valued, validated, stackable, and portable.
• The NC Workforce Credentials Council identified its priority non-degree credentials that will lead to sustainable wage careers and help employers meet their needs for specific skills and talent.
• The CTE Division within NCDPI will crosswalk existing K-12 credentials of value to the NCWC non-degree credentials list by July 2022 so stakeholders can see the stackability/portability between K-12 and the world of work.
• NCDPI is aligning our credentials across agencies in partnership with the NC Community College System, NC Department of Commerce, NCWorks Commission, NC Association of Workforce Development Boards, the Office of the Governor, NCBCE, and myFuture NC.
• The NC Workforce Credentials Advisory Council will continue to work directly with businesses to augment the list of priority non-degree credentials.

To learn more about NCDPI’s efforts to assist students in meeting their post-secondary plans, visit here.