SANFORD - Central Carolina Works (CCW) -- an educational initiative by a consortium including Central Carolina Community College, local schools, business, industry, and community leaders -- presented the 4th Annual Bridging Education and Careers summer symposium on June 18 at Sanford Contractors.

CCW funds the placement of career and college advisors in each of the public high schools in Chatham, Harnett, and Lee counties. These advisors work one-on-one with students to help them take advantage of the state-funded Career and College Promise (CCP) dual-enrollment program, which offers tuition-free college courses to qualifying high school students.

Career & College Promise students in Lee County have a new opportunity on the horizon. Central Carolina Promises is a new initiative created in partnership between the college and the Lee County Board of Commissioners. Beginning this fall, Lee County Schools' newest graduates who meet certain criteria may attend Central Carolina Community College for two years tuition-free. Future graduating classes will be required to complete at least 12 credit hours or four classes of CCP credit during their 11th and/or 12th grade years to be eligible. 2018 graduates must submit their residency determination, college application, FAFSA, and Promise application to be considered for this opportunity. The Fall 2018 application deadline in Lee County is July 16, and the application as well as more information on Central Carolina Promises can be found at www.cccc.edu/promise. Similar initiatives are being considered in both Chatham and Harnett counties for implementation at a later date. All of this information was incorporated into this year's EWIF symposium.

The symposium, made possible by the Education Workforce and Innovation Fund (EWIF) grant from the North Carolina Governor's Office, offered a unique opportunity for collaboration as it connected high school English, social studies, and CTE teachers to local industry. This collaboration allows for more effective bridging of the gap between education and the world of work, as teachers were able to see first-hand what demands exist within industry.

With the information the teachers garnered through the tours of four area businesses in various industries, presentations, and discussions, they were presented with an opportunity on creating a Career-Focused Unit (CFU) to incorporate into their curriculum The CFU is a unit embedded within the standard curriculum that incorporates course relevance to career fields. This allows the teacher to connect what the students are learning to real world application in the workplace.

Symposium participants were welcomed by: Dr. T.E. Marchant, CCCC President; Dr. Brian Merritt, CCCC Vice President of Learning & Workforce Development; and Brent Sloan, Sanford Contractors Human Resources Director. After the welcome, Dr. Merritt introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. June Atkinson, the first female Superintendent of Public Instruction in North Carolina.

Dr. Atkinson served as the North Carolina State Superintendent from August 2005 until January 2017. In addition to her years as superintendent, Dr. Atkinson has experience in the classroom as a teacher in Virginia and North Carolina. In her keynote, Dr. Atkinson addressed the need for public education to adapt to the 21st Century. A part of that adaptation is making a better connection between industry and education.

Following the keynote address, Kelvin Hunt, CCCC Director of Student Outreach and Recruitment, led an industry panel discussion that included representation from a range of industries. Participants on the panel included: Sgt James Estes from the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Zachary Horner from The Sanford Herald, Brent Sloan from Sanford Contractors, Martha Hudson from Tobacco Road Golf Course, and Ginny Phillips from Pentair. The panel discussion covered topics such as industry demands, workforce concerns, and educational requirements.

After the panel discussion and a break for lunch, Lara Abels, CCCC Lee County Lead College & Career Advisor, introduced a video produced by Meredith Galloway -- a former symposium participant. Galloway had created a CFU for use in her classroom, which focused on the solar panel industry and provided insight into how the process works and how to implement a CFU in the classroom. She had students conduct research on solar panels, write business correspondence, and prepare presentations. Through her CFU, students were able to learn the various ways in which English, communication, and critical reading skills are utilized in modern industry. She went beyond grammar rules and classical literature to show English as seen in practical application.

The participants were given tours of four local businesses -- the YMCA, Comfort First, Central Carolina Power Equipment, and Tobacco Road Golf Course. During the tours, the hosts discussed their particular industry needs and how those needs can be met through education. Participants were also provided opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback. During these exchanges it was apparent that communication skills and trainability were often just as, if not more than, critical than current level of knowledge in the specific career field. A common theme was that the hard skills are easily trained if the soft skills and willingness to learn are present.

The symposium ended with another panel discussion with employees of Sanford Contractors and an opportunity for the participants to hold group discussions amongst themselves. CCP advisors led the group discussions. During these discussions, participants generated ideas on how they could implement the CFU in their own classrooms.

Details about Central Carolina Works and a free electronic newsletter it publishes monthly are available at www.cccc.edu/high-school/ccp. More information about Central Carolina Community College is available on its website at www.cccc.edu.