(The Center Square) – North Carolina high school graduates have set a new record for obtaining certifications in the industries where they will work, the Education Department said Wednesday.
The high certification is good news both for the graduates and for businesses, the state said.
“Industry-recognized credentials give students a head start on their careers,” Trey Michael of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction said in a release. “Whether a student is pursuing nursing, cybersecurity, construction or culinary arts, these credentials validate their skills and open doors to good-paying jobs.”
For businesses, having a large pool of applicants already certified in their industries, saves training time because employers know that they are hiring someone who is trained in a specific set of skills.
Certification not only helps applicants land jobs, but they often start at a higher salary, the state said.
“When a student earns an industry-recognized credential, they’re not just completing a course, they are gaining a competitive advantage in the job market and building a foundation for long-term career success,” first-term Democratic Superintendent Mo Green said.
In the 2024-25 school year, North Carolina career and technical school education students set a new standard with 382,964.
North Carolina is second nationally in the percentage of CTE students, with more than a third of K-12 students enrolled in at least one course.
Companies often cited a skilled workforce as a key reason for deciding to locate new factories and facilities in North Carolina.
Funding from the Legislature has helped increase the number of students obtaining credentials. In 2022-23, the General Assembly appropriated $15.8 million to help public school systems offer credentialing assistance to CTE students, the state said.
The Wake County Public School System had the most credentials earned. Transylvania County, Pender County Schools and Mitchell County Schools led the state in the percentage of CTE students who earned credentials.
Students earned credentials in industries such as welding, health sciences and information technology.
