WADESBORO — Anson and Union Counties are being represented by Wingate University for an inaugural cohort focused on increasing the number of individuals with post-secondary degrees, credentials or certificates of value in the workplace.
This project is a collaboration between the UNC School of Government’s ncIMPACT Initiative and myFutureNC, aligning with the state’s legislative goal of two million individuals between the ages of 25-44 who possess a high-quality credential or post-secondary degree by 2030.
Fifteen community collaboratives were selected out of 46 applicants for the intensive two-year project. Wingate University was one of the 15 chosen and will be closely working with Anson and Union County, South Piedmont Community College, Union County Public Schools, Monroe-Union County Economic Development and the Town of Wadesboro.
“These collaborates offer an organized way to respond to future work challenges that no single institution or even an entire sector can effectively tackle,” Professor and Director of ncIMPACT Initiative Anita Brown-Graham said in a press release. “We are eager to begin this important work together.”
Wingate University, along with the other community collaboratives, will benefit from five regional forums, $15,000 to assist with the costs of hiring a community manager, $10,000 in implementation funding for the project, evidence-based resources and a Local Attainment Collaborative Toolkit.
The forums will give teams the opportunity to establish goals, identify strategies, set plans for implementation, collaborate and learn from experts.
“Building a strong talent pipeline will require a new level of cross-sector coordination,” Cecilia Holden, president of myFutureNC, said. “Among others, key strategic partners in these collaboratives must include PreK-12, universities, community colleges, workforce development boards, economic developers, chambers of commerce, county commissioners, policymakers, and civic leaders. The ncIMPACT Initiative will manage this first cohort of collaboratives. myFUTURENC will leverage the model developed through this cohort to identify and support additional collaboratives moving forward.”
Funding for this project was provided by the John M. Belk Endowment, Dogwood Health Trust and UNC Rural.
The ncIMPACT Initiative is a statewide initiative that was launched in 2017 to help local communities use data and evidence to improve conditions and inform decision making.
myFutureNC, a nonprofit, focuses on educational attainment with the goal of creating a stronger, more competitive North Carolina.
For those who are interested in seeing the project’s updates and resources, visit http://bit.ly/LEAC-project.
