RALEIGH, N.C. — WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization committed to supporting teachers and students in Wake County, is seeking business partners of any size and from all industry sectors throughout the Wake County area to support its education and workforce development initiatives for Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS) students aimed at helping them explore career opportunities as well as the education and skills needed to get there.
WakeEd launched the Career Accelerator summer program last year (2022) for rising 10th-12th graders and Career Exploration this year (2023) for middle school students to participate in during the school year. Both programs need more companies to meet student demand and planned growth. WakeEd is seeking companies who are willing to host students for half-day immersion experiences for both programs. WakeEd is also in need of guest speakers and experts to lead workshops for students focused on career pathways, job education requirements, interview skills, digital portfolio building, and more.
“Business leaders keep saying can’t find enough qualified workers to fill their vacancies and we have this perfect opportunity for them to work directly with students, show them what jobs are available and how they can be better prepared to fill them,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “Their future workforce can be right here in North Carolina\’s largest school district, but we need business partners to step up and partner with us and the public schools to help our students find the right path.”
WakeEd Partnership’s Accelerate initiative brings together both new and existing workforce-focused educational programs that will help Wake County students become more future-ready for any career and college opportunity.
Career Accelerator, developed in partnership with the Wake County Public School System, is designed for rising 10th –12th grade WCPSS students and will run June 20-28 this year. The program seeks to engage students in a deeper understanding and development of workforce-readiness, helping students better know themselves and how their current high school trajectory is helping them prepare for the workforce and post-secondary careers. Career Exploration looks to provide 7th grade students with short burst immersion experiences, allowing them to see an industry partner in a more holistic way, exploring different career pathways that may exist in a company and what it takes to get there.
If you would like to learn more about how your business can get engaged, visit WakeEd’s website at: www.WakeEd.org/Programs or contact Douglas Price, WakeEd’s Director of Programs, at dprice@wakeed.org.
About WakeEd Partnership
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2023, WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd) is a leading independent nonprofit backed by business and community leaders to support the teachers, students, and families of Wake County Public Schools. Since 1983, WakeEd has been committed to improving public education and advocating for excellent educational opportunities for all students. For more information, please visit www.wakeed.org.