Routes to Jobs
North Carolina
Credentialing the Way to Better Pay
Explore
The Routes to Jobs NC website provides county-level information to help North Carolinians secure well-paying jobs by beginning or completing postsecondary credentials attainment. On this website, North Carolinians will find information and links to helpful resources grouped by county. Specific county-level information includes:
The County Profile
Educational Resources
Well-Paying Job Openings
Support Resources
Testimonials from Local Residents
How Can Routes to Jobs North Carolina Help You?
Embedded in the North Carolina Constitution (Article IX, Section 9) is a mandate that the General Assembly extend to the people of North Carolina the benefits of postsecondary education “as far as practicable… free of expense.” The quality of the State’s workforce and intellectual breadth and depth of our future leaders are directly related to our citizens obtaining a quality education.
Education is very important, but not absolutely essential for living a successful life. Many North Carolinians live very happy, prosperous and successful lives without postsecondary credentials. That said, numerous studies confirm a strong link between postsecondary educational attainment, economic development, social mobility, health, and other positive societal outcomes. A report from The National Conference of State Legislatures summarizes the benefits of postsecondary education.
https://immagic.com/eLibrary/ARCHIVES/GENERAL/WICHE_US/W090210B.pdf
More Credentials, Higher Pay
More Info
Over a lifetime, a college-educated individual earns about $1 million more than a person without a college degree.
The gap between the median earnings of college graduates and the median earnings of high school graduates has increased significantly over the past 30 years.
Higher Education, Healthy Lifestyles
More Info
People with higher education experience improved health, are more involved in voluntary organizations, and give more to charity than their less-educated counterparts.
Higher Education, Lower Incarceration
More Info
The incarceration rate of adults with some college education is about one quarter of that for those with only a high school degree. It costs about $26,000 a year to maintain a prisoner; public four-year colleges spend about $25,000 per student per year; public two-year institutions spend about $9,000 per year per student.”
Jobs Require Postsecondary Skills
The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that in 2020, 65% of American job openings will require some postsecondary education, with 35% requiring at least a bachelor’s degree and 30% requiring some college.
National Attainment Goals Have Been Set
The Lumina Foundation has set a goal for 60% of Americans to hold degrees, certificates or other high-quality postsecondary credentials by 2025 to meet our nation’s growing need for talent.
North Carolina's Attainment Goal
Through the myFutureNC initiative, NC has set a goal that by 2030, 2 million North Carolinians will have a postsecondary degree or credential. This goal is more than double the current projected growth over the next 10 years.
Have a question? Want to stay informed?
Contact