(The Center Square) – North Carolina’s status as the best state for business is translating into more opportunities for students, a trend aided by an intentional focus on working directly with employers.
Caroline Sullivan, executive director of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, told The Center Square the organization that turns 40 this year has launched “substantially more initiatives” in recent years to help students connect with companies for exciting careers.
The nonprofit that operates out of the Office of the Governor credits much of its success building career pathways for students to the state’s culture of coordination with the business community that stands out from other states.
“It’s business led, which makes it very unique and very successful. To my knowledge, there is no other organization like NCBCE,” Sullivan said.
Another critical element, she said, “is with the growth of the state and all the new employers coming in, and North Carolina being ranked No. 1 in business for two years in a row.”
Policy experts credit the business boom largely to fiscal policy changes in the General Assembly since Republicans regained the helm in 2010 for the first time since Reconstruction 140 years earlier. Conservative policies fueled a dramatic turnaround from a roughly $1 billion deficit in 2011 that necessitated hundreds of millions in cuts despite billions in federal stimulus funds.
Spending reductions, tax and labor reforms, reduced regulations and reworked business incentives buoyed the state’s ranking in the Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index from 46th in 2011 to ninth for 2024. The rise to the top stemmed in part from a significant increase in state gross product, from 3.8% behind the national average in the seven years prior to tax reform in 2013 to 9.5%, or 0.5% higher than the national average, in the seven years since.
The changes translated to massive investments from Fortune 500 companies and small businesses that have driven significant population growth, jobs, and revenues for the state’s coffers, along with a steady stream of accolades from numerous business publications. Perhaps the most notable, as Sullivan referenced, is CNBC naming North Carolina the Top State for Business in 2022 and 2023.
The success has also contributed to labor shortages that have only accelerated since the pandemic.
What that means for the state’s students was highlighted this week with multiple educational investments that will provide opportunities less common elsewhere.
Toyota Tsusho America, a shareholder in Toyota’s planned $14 billion battery plant in Liberty, announced Tuesday it will send $100,000 to Teach for America NC to bring its Future Forward program to Eastern Randolph High School and others in the region.
The career and college readiness initiative for marginalized students provides one-on-one coaches to help high schoolers navigate school and career options to build a customized plan for their future.
“As Toyota Tsusho grows our business in North Carolina, we are committed to supporting the needs of our local communities. That’s what today is all about,” Toyota Tsusho America’s Mike Lavender said in a Tuesday statement.
Smithfield Foods, operator of the world’s largest production facility in Tar Heel, also announced a $1 million donation the same day for a Southeastern Education and Economic Development apprenticeship program, coordinated through the NC Business Committee for Education.
The comprehensive youth apprenticeship program known as SEED will provide career pathways and college education for high school students in southeastern North Carolina counties.
“Our goal is to develop the next generation of leaders through supporting education in our communities, and the SEED program is a great way to help these students jump-start their early career development,” Steve Evans, the company’s vice president of community development, said in a statement.
“It’s very exciting and I think it’s going to provide great benefits for the businesses there and students,” Sullivan said, noting other initiatives are underway to connect students with training in the electric vehicle industry, as well.
Ultimately, the success of the programs rely in large part on getting students engaged, and connecting employers with classrooms early to help students understand the opportunities available, she said.
“Career and tech education in our K-12 systems is great, but a lot of students don’t take advantage of it,” Sullivan said. “The talent challenges are going to continue, but the talent is sitting in the classroom right now.”
