Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
A weekly podcast produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
Mind Your Business - A Podcast Series produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
Recapping the Inaugural Trades Signing Day Ceremony at Watauga High School
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
On Tuesday, April 21st, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and Watauga County Schools hosted the inaugural Trades Signing Day at Watauga High School — recognizing students who have earned, or are on track to earn, an industry-recognized credential through the school's Career and Technical Education program.
On this week's Mind Your Business, we recap the event and dig into the 2026 Watauga County Attainment Profile from MyFutureNC, which tracks where our community stands on postsecondary credential attainment against the state's 2030 goals. Dr. Kim Case, Regional Impact Manager for myFutureNC's Northwest Region, joins us to connect the data to real career pathways for students across the High Country.
Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.
Catch the show each Thursday afternoon at 5PM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.
Earlier this week, some students at Watauga High School were recognized for their academic achievements under the bright lights on the big stage. This week, we talk Trade Signing Day and how highlighting their career aptitude sets up the next step. From the Boon Area Chamber of Commerce, this is Mind Your Business.
SPEAKER_02Mind Your Business. Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, providing professional commercial real estate services. Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
SPEAKER_03Hello and welcome into Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson, President and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Glad to have you with us once again this week. Whether you are tuned in through the airwaves of WATA here in Boone or catching us as a subscriber of the podcast version of this program, which is made possible each and every week by our good friends at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. If you have not subscribed yet, you can find us wherever you get your podcast. There you get full archives, occasional bonus content, and plenty more. All of the news that you can use from right here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Now I want to start this week by asking a question that sounds simple, but it's actually quite complex. When we talk about workforce development in the high country, what does that actually look like? Because for a lot of people, that phrase lives somewhere between a board meeting agenda and a grant application. It is discussed constantly, it is cited as a priority, it shows up in strategic plans, but it can feel very abstract most of the time. On Tuesday evening, workforce development was on full display. The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and Watauga County Schools hosted the inaugural Trade Signing Day at Wataga High School, a ceremony that recognized students that have earned or are on track to earn an industry recognized credential through the school's career and technical education programs. Families, educators, local employees, the chamber's summit members, all of those folks in one room, and all there to say publicly what these students are doing matters to the future workforce of this community. So this week on Mind Your Business, we're going to spend some real time on that story. We'll recap trade signing day hearing from some of the players that were involved in the ceremony. We'll also zoom out to a bigger picture conversation around where Watauga County stands on educational attainment, as the new 2026 County profile from My Future NC gives us a lot of data to work with. We'll walk through that information with Dr. Kim Case, My Future NC's Regional Impact Manager for the Northwest, who connects all of these dots for a living, and she'll help us understand where Wataga sits against the rest of the state and where the state has to go to get the folks in the jobs we all need for the future. All of this and plenty more will get started right after the break. If you are listening, mind your business.
SPEAKER_02Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area. They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate. For more information, go to their website at AppalachianCRE.com.
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson. Before we talk trade signing day, a quick word about a business that has been in the spotlight for their work in connecting business with their space needs. James Milner and Appalachian Commercial Real Estate. They solve simple and complex commercial real estate problems in and around the Boone area and beyond. Whether you own or lease commercial real estate, regardless of the property type, have an advocate on your side, along with the expertise and experience to assist you and your business. For more information, check them out on the web, Appalachian CRE.com. All right, trade signing day. Let's paint the picture. Tuesday evening at Wataga High School, students who have participated in career technical education courses and have earned industry recognized credentials, they had the red carpet rolled out for them, just like athletes sometimes do when they make their college choice known. They walked into a reception where local employers were there waiting to meet them before the ceremony even started. Students in fields like health sciences, culinary arts, automotive, welding, drafting and design, agriculture, computer science, all of them having real conversations with the businesses that operate right here in the high country in those fields. Abstate University Housing, Blue Ridge Energy, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institutes, Culinary Arts Program, Comeback Shack, Green's Construction, Reed's Catering. These are not hypothetical employers. These are your neighbors, and they showed up because they want these students on their workforce, whether that's today or one day down the road. In all, there were eleven areas of CTE concentration that were represented during the ceremony, included in that the military arts through the J R O T C. Students received a certificate and a graduation cord, themed in Boon Chamber colors, by the way, and they got that same logoed backdrop photo opportunity that you might see again in an athletics contest. Two Wataga High School alumni came back to speak directly to the students. Jay Harrell of Fosco Companies and Talia Freeman of Beach Mountain Resort both grew up in this community. They built their careers here and they walked back into that school to tell those kids there was a path for them right here in the mountains. That kind of moment just simply sticks. This inaugural event was made possible by the chamber's summit members Beach Mountain Resort, Blue Ridge Energy, UNC Health Appalachian, Mass General Store, Echota, High Street Insurance, Home Two Suites, and Appalachian State University. Their investment is not just financial, it's a signal that the business community in the high country is taking workforce preparation seriously, all the way to the high school level. As I said Tuesday night, with all of the conversation happening in Raleigh about education funding, these students represent the finest of that investment. The skills they are learning are being taught by top-notch educators, many of whom are local industry practitioners themselves. Watauga County Schools pays constant attention to labor market alignment in this region, and the students are moving toward in-demand careers right here at home. We spent some time wandering the hallways during the reception and got some great insights from those involved, from educators to employers to the students themselves.
SPEAKER_08My name is Scott Strickler. I'm the principal at Wataga High School and Innovation Academy.
SPEAKER_03Let's talk about CTE for a moment. A lot of positive press uh in North Carolina based on the students' ability to achieve credentials, uh, the way that they're doing it, the rate that they're doing this. That is magnified here in Watauga County because of the success of these programs over the years. Can you just speak to how you're able to provide these learning opportunities for students every year?
SPEAKER_08Starting off, we have an incredible staff of dedicated teachers that really have a passion in things, whether it's carpentry or cosmetology or welding, they really are pouring in the kids and talking them from the first class they take in a CT course all the way through a pathway of what they can do with credentials, what job opportunities are, or what it really opens up once they go into a two or a four-year university. And I really think having a broad program allows kids to, you know, if they want to, dip their toe and figure out what is best that suits what they need, that also suits our community's needs as a whole in the job openings we have available.
SPEAKER_03You you talk about the dipping of the toes, the career exploration that comes out of this. I'm sure that there are some that find it immediately, and there are others that that dance in the dipping of the toes. How has that benefited the overall student experience to know that they've just got that that chance and not everything is so rigid at such a key point in their life?
SPEAKER_08I remember a conversation last year, a kid had taken the first welding class, and he really lauded what a great job Steve Ward did in the class. But then he said, But that's really not for me. And so I'm thinking of, you know, essentially a one-semester course, which to a high schooler feels like forever. But we know it's it really is truly a short time. And that kid knew that after that they did not want to be a welder. But what they did find out is by walking past the carpentry class every day, they're like, they're doing some really cool stuff in there. And so now they're in carpentry and they're like, okay, I can really see myself doing this. And then in talking with them, their parents are not not in construction, but it's something they love, and they're really looking at what pathways are available, whether it's going to NC State and taking some construction core classes there and working in a degree like that, or whether they're going to go straight into the profession.
SPEAKER_03We hear a lot about the the statistics that show high school graduation rate for those that go through at least one CTE class, and then the the amount of further education that that folks that go through CTE will seek after high school. Those are numbers on paper. Can you quantify what that really means for a student to get that light bulb moment, that that that little boost of confidence from the right course at the right time?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, certainly. So if you want to look at graduation rate for last year, well, TUG Innovation Academy had a 100% graduation rate. So while not every student that goes to the Innovation Academy is a CT concentrator, the majority of them are. So, you know, they did, they lit that spark, you know, in their beginning years. Because when you go into the WA, you say, Hey, I'm gonna be a health science major or work on the health science pathway, or I'm gonna work in the welding or the autotech pathway. And all of those kids made sure that they had those experiences and it led them to high school graduation. And and a lot of them now are working in the industry or, like I said, going into a two or a four-year university.
SPEAKER_03This has been a championship year for Watauga High School in so many ways, athletically, academically. For a night like this, this kind of starts the march toward graduation, if you will. Uh from your chair, how gratifying are these moments to see kids celebrated and celebrating the accomplishments that they've had in the classroom?
SPEAKER_08I I love what you say about like it's been a championship year because we have we've had teams we can celebrate, but we also have all these individual moments. I think the special part for me is talking to these seniors and saying, hey, what have you enjoyed? What have you learned you don't want to do, and then what's next for you? And just hearing all these inspirational stories, whether they really are moving into the armed services, or they're like, I'm gonna start my own business, or they're like, I'm really excited about going to Meredith College, or like the you know, universities, Caldwell, all those things, and it's really cool to see these connections we're making that hopefully these students are gonna find their next steps and hopefully land right here in Watauga County to start a business or help others or you know, even be in education one day.
SPEAKER_03Well, thank you to you and and your entire team for highlighting this moment. It's gonna be a great backdrop, and uh we we certainly are excited to do this again in the future.
SPEAKER_08Definitely. It's really great that a partnership between the school system, Watauga High, and the Chamber of Commerce can continue to flourish. So thank you for all you've done as well.
SPEAKER_07Chef Corey Hooks, Director of Culinary, Catering and Hospitality with Cowwood Community College and Technical Institute.
SPEAKER_03So for you to be able to come out to an event like this and be able to have face-to-face contact with people that are credentialed and ready to move into your workforce and maybe your continued educational path, how valuable is that for the community college?
SPEAKER_07I think having those credentials right off the bat is really gonna help them get through the program a lot quicker, get exposure to that industry before they even come to our program. Um, a good thing about the credential, they're learning, it's it's a class they can skip in my program. I can give them credit for a course, which is gonna help them go through the program a lot quicker. And being able to connect with the students at this level is catching them on the front end instead of waiting on the back end when they're coming through the program through admissions or something like that. So I think being able to speak to the students, expose them to what we offer, and that it's more than just cooking. We we teach them the business aspect too. So we're trying to set them up for leadership and possibly um ownership of their own business down the road.
SPEAKER_03So you know, we've talked a lot about credential alignment and just educational pathway alignment. We've got a robust foods program here and a tremendous culinary program through Caldwell Community College to visually connect all that together. Is that is that kind of the opportunity to sell this as the pathway?
SPEAKER_07It is, it is. And not only that one credential, we offer five credentials as they go through the pro uh program that's recognized, you know, across the country. So um making those connections and showing them that, you know, as you go through the program and starting with that one credential and earning the other four, um, it's more than just that degree you're getting exposed to, and it's gonna set you apart from other applicants in the industry that's applying for that same position.
SPEAKER_03I can't help but notice that you brought out the A game tonight in terms of culinary enjoyment. Is that also part of the process? Like come hang out with us, we'll show you how to do this.
SPEAKER_07You gotta know how to sell it. So anytime I'm out in the industry, career fairs, job fairs, I'm always bringing something uh to share.
SPEAKER_04I'm Terry Bursa, I'm the executive director with Rise Caudalataga.
SPEAKER_03You are also the current board chair of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. So we have been talking about this for a while. The personification of everything that we hear about the need for workforce. You've got trained students fresh out of the gate, coming across the stage. This seems to be everything that we've been talking about in so many ways.
SPEAKER_04Yes, I think it's very important, um, especially force uh an entity like the Boon Area Chamber of Commerce to show up and be a part of recognizing these students, what they are achieving, these credentials to put them into workforce is very important. It should be recognized at this level.
SPEAKER_03Rise called Well Wataga students will be signified uh tonight as well. Can you just tell us a bit about that program and how that aligns so well with CTE curriculum and making sure that that people are connecting the pathway to the next step?
SPEAKER_04Absolutely. So through our RISE program, as interns and pre-apprentices, students have an opportunity to earn credentials that will be are valued for the workforce that they're going into. The students that are being recognized tonight, these credentials were earned while in the program and also prior to the program. What they are preparing in advance of their work-based learning experience to earn something that the employer will find value in.
SPEAKER_03You have been in the position to be that employer that looks at resume after resume, and you have taken on apprentices before in roles. The value of the credential, how much does that make someone stand out?
SPEAKER_04It absolutely makes them stand out. Uh, age is not really a factor, it comes down to experience. Credentials can also equal confidence. Um they had to earn that credential, um, and it helps them show up in more confidence when they were actually in the workplace.
SPEAKER_03This is a first-time thing, and you and you hit the word confidence. How much have your students even talked about, hey, this is kind of just a cool showcase moment, and maybe that is the thing that keeps them going down the educational pathway?
SPEAKER_04Absolutely. So everybody that you know graduates from high school gets graduation. Um, these students, though, get a moment um where they get to stand and be recognized for earning a credential that will put them directly into workforce. It's many of them will go on to four-year school, many of them will go on to two-year school, but this is something that directly relates to employment. And for some of these students going into the trades or directly going into employment after high school, it's important for them to have this moment, especially for those that are seniors.
SPEAKER_05Tasha Rountree, Director of Community Relations and Economic Development for Blue Ridge Energy.
SPEAKER_03So thank you first off as a summit member for being one of the eight that have helped make this possible. Can you touch on the the value that that Blue Ridge sees in something like this, a showcase moment for students to feel good about their classroom achievements?
SPEAKER_05I mean, this is such a big opportunity. You know, we want students to pursue um whatever makes them happy. And I look around the room at all the employers and all the different opportunities that are available to our youth, and it just makes me excited. I mean, just the energy in the room, being able to, but things like that I didn't even think of as being a potential career, like how the housing department at the university, all of the staff that they need. I mean, just those options that are out there and available to our students in our service area is huge.
SPEAKER_03You all have such a great partnership with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute on the line worker program, but to get students into that program, they have to be, you know, kind of motivated to go down that road. So you've got the opportunity for linemen to talk directly with students who are interested in those kind of careers. How much does that help make the the conversation around workforce a little bit easier for you all?
SPEAKER_05Oh, for sure. So the student, those seed, that seed is planted with these youth very, very early. But for them to get this hands-on experience talking to our linemen and then realizing, okay, Caldwell Community College is just on the road from here, so I can go and be a line technician with a little bit of training. I mean, just invaluable, really. This whole experience of the students being able to interact with our employees and seeing the opportunities that are available to them, not just at Blue Ridge, but at all these different local employers, it's a good opportunity for us to keep our youth local here with us in Watauga County for sure.
SPEAKER_03When you think about the value of just an educated workforce, um you all are one that benefits from that again in a variety of ways uh in all of the different positions that you have here. I feel like in in many cases, Blue Ridge Energy is synonymous with supporting schools. Is that where this all starts?
SPEAKER_05Oh, for sure. I mean, you know, we make different investments in our school system, whether that's through our leadership track program or our broad ideas, and this just further enhances that relationship that we have with Watauka County schools and the schools in our area to offer this additional support and just um you know, I would say that you know it's really relationship driven that they're calling us based on what they have going on, which is where we want to be at, right? Like we want them to tell us what's important and us support that through those initiatives. So we're we're so grateful for this opportunity.
SPEAKER_01My name is Tiara Stark, and I serve in a couple of different positions: uh Director of Student Services, Federal Programs, Accountability, CTE, School Safety.
SPEAKER_03So on a night like this, where you're celebrating student achievement, you also have the idea of knowing all they've been through from an academic standpoint, all the requirements that go into this. How gratifying is this for you?
SPEAKER_01This is beyond gratifying. I'm just so excited that we get to honor the kids for what they're doing in the classroom, but also out of the classroom and in ways that they had to choose for themselves.
SPEAKER_03From Wataga County School's perspective, there's been a lot of evolution over the types of courses that you've offered in CTE over the years. What are the priorities that you're looking for and not only the coursework, but making sure that students are excited about those courses?
SPEAKER_01First, I look at labor market alignment because a student can be excited about something, but are they gonna be able to do something with it? And is it gonna help our local and state economy? So look at labor market data and then find out from the students what they're interested in. Is it something that they think can then go on to a community college, a college or straight to workforce with? Um, are they gonna be able to make a livable wage and are they gonna love what they do?
SPEAKER_03You mentioned that so perfectly to tee up the next question of the the ways that you gain that labor market understanding, um, standing committees, uh, constant uh kind of approval from the business community of of what makes the most sense to them from a workforce perspective. How difficult is that to manage, or or is that one of those things that just kind of comes into place as so many things do sometimes?
SPEAKER_01We have a couple of good setups to get that data. We have a business advisory council and we have some really amazing CTE teachers who have business advisors or friends in our community that find out that information. Um, it's hard to suss through. Sometimes we think something might be an emergency or a crisis of something that we might need in the community, but but really we don't have a program for it. And so then we work with our community college to see if they can build a program for us and how we can cooperate in that way.
SPEAKER_03We've talked so much about student success, but the student success would not occur without the value of the educators that you have teaching these classes. That's not always easy to recruit for. How have you been able to help the team effort in that regard over the years?
SPEAKER_01Honestly, the teachers kind of sell it for themselves. So uh a teacher, a health sciences teacher who needs another health sciences teacher, they go out and they find them because they have found a reason why this works for them. It's hard to find CTE teachers because we need them from the industry. We need them to have experience. Not every program area can come out of a college straight into teaching for industry perspectives. And so when they have friends that are also a nurse or an auto mechanic and they're like, listen, this is a good opportunity. We get to do what we love, but we get to do it for kids who also might find a love for it, maybe not for a customer who maybe doesn't like us so much.
SPEAKER_03Some of these students are are in a position tonight to be to be celebrated for their academic achievement in in kind of a unique in some cases even first-time way. Can you quantify the confidence that that can give them, whether that's going right into the labor market or maybe getting that nudge to take it to to Call Will or to take it to a four year college at some point?
SPEAKER_01I never want to hear a kid say, I'm just gonna go work, or I'm just gonna go to community college. My hope is that tonight. Shows them that no matter what they choose, the military, a FOIA university, a community college, a technical school, or going to work, and not with the word just before that. I hope that they see tonight that there are so many people in our community who are rooting for them because they have chosen some kind of path that is good for them and good for the community and good for the economy. That's what I hope they see tonight.
SPEAKER_03Well said. And we could not have done all of this without you working on the inside, making it happen. So thank you for your efforts and for that of the entire team. We look forward to a great one.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much to the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce for their support of this program. They've been asking to support us in this for several years, and now we get to do it, and it's here, and it's exciting. It's also scary. Um, but we're just really happy for the kiddos tonight.
SPEAKER_09My name is Kennedy Moran. I'm in the nursing pathway and also the marketing and hospitality pathway. My name is Larson, and I'm in the nursing pathway.
SPEAKER_03All right, so for both of you, you're getting ready to graduate. How exciting is that? And and is this the start of it all kind of a winding down?
SPEAKER_09I'm really excited to graduate. I'm ready to move on to my next chapter. And I think Larson is to film. Yeah, I'm really excited. It's all getting real, and I'm really ready to graduate.
SPEAKER_03All right, so what did your classes help you understand about yourself and what you want to do after this?
SPEAKER_09It really helped me to realize just what I'm capable of, and also it helped me with my patient interactions and helped me confirm what I wanted to do in the future. I agree with what Larson said. I think all of my classes, both in the marketing and nursing, really solidified what I wanted to do in my career and really gave me the opportunity to see how many opportunities we have in Wataga County and what I need to do in order to secure those opportunities for myself.
SPEAKER_03So what comes next after graduation? You walk across the stage. What what will this help you achieve?
SPEAKER_09Well, I'm going to the ETSU to major in general health sciences to then hopefully become a respiratory therapist and a PA. I'm also going to ETSU. Um I'm going to be a Killin' Honor scholar, and that is a pre-med program, so I'm planning on going to medical school.
SPEAKER_03Well, congratulations to you both. Best of luck, and we look forward to seeing what comes next for both of them. Thank you. When we come back, we'll zoom out and look at the broader picture of where Watauga County stands as it relates to educational attainment. A new data set has been released recently, and there's lots to discuss. You are listening to MindYour Business.
SPEAKER_02Appalachian Commercial Real Estate provides professional commercial real estate services in the Boone area. They provide sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services to owners and users of commercial real estate. For more information, go to their website at Appalachian CRE.com.
SPEAKER_03Welcome back to Mind Your Business. I'm David Jackson. So how do experiences like Trade Signing Day matter in the bigger conversation about workforce development trends? How are these trends quantified? We've talked before on this program about MyFuture NC, a statewide nonprofit with a clear and specific goal from the North Carolina General Assembly, ensuring that 2 million North Carolinians hold a post-secondary degree or credential by the year 2030. That's not an arbitrary number either. That's what economists and workforce analysts tell us is necessary to match our state's economic growth and to remain competitive for its residents, and also to actually earn wages that support life in this great state. Each year, MyFuture NC releases county-level attainment profiles, detailed snapshots of where a community stands against the goals that have been laid out. The 2026 Watauga County profile came out earlier this year, and the data is interesting. Of Watauga County residents between the ages of 25 and 44, that's considered the prime working age window. There are about 10,500 people in that category. Of the people in that age range, 71.3% hold some type of degree or credential. On the surface, that looks strong, in some ways it is. But the 2030 target tells a different story. To hit the goal my future NC has set out for our county, we'll need to see 5,900 more residents in that age group holding some type of post-high school credential. Our growth rate, 1.7% per year, is well below the statewide average of 5.8%. We are moving in the right direction, and there is a concerted effort to see that growth percentage move in a positive direction as well. Another figure worth sitting with only 46% of Watauga County adults in that 25 to 44 range earn a family sustaining wage. The state average 58%. That tells you that credential attainment and wage outcomes do not automatically move together. Their credentials and careers have to align. And this is a statistic that has fueled conversation around the need for economic diversity and jobs in industry expansion that actually move toward higher paying wages rather than an over-reliance on typically tourism sector jobs that are low wage and not always full-time. The profile flags the top areas where credential production is mismatched with the job market demand. Healthcare and human services jobs significantly outpace the credentials being earned at this time in those fields. Supply chain and transportation are in the same situation. These are not abstract industries. Healthcare and social assistance is the single largest employment sector in Watauga County at 19% of all jobs trailed only slightly by accommodation and food service, or those tourism sector jobs. They make up 17% of our job picture. And local educators are opening up pathways that move toward positive momentum in the areas outlined in this report. There's also a lot to be encouraged by in the reporting as well. Nearly 87% of degrees and certificates awarded by regional institutions are aligned with labor market needs. That's Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, App State, and others. Watauga County students who do enroll in post-secondary education outperform the state and peer averages on persistence and completion. 70% earn a degree with a credential within six years compared to 60% statewide. The talent is here. The work is getting more students into and through those pathways. On the K-12 side, Watauga County school students completed more than 1,000 CTE certificates in the 2024 school year in nearly 450 concentrations. The top three areas were human services, health science, and agriculture and construction. 61% of Watauga High School graduates participated in career and college promise programs, nearly double the state rate of 36%. Watauga County, like so many things in education, is a leader on this particular metric, and that matters. That's the landscape as we know it today, and it raises the question: what do we do next? Dr. Kim Case has spent the better part of three decades thinking about exactly that question. She served 19 years in the classroom and has worked as a principal, a curriculum coordinator, and most recently as a coordinator of innovation and online education for Caldwell County Schools, where her specific focus was connecting students with business partners and higher education to build real, usable career pathways. She now serves as MyFuture NC's regional impact manager for the Northwest, which means our area is her territory. And she knows what these numbers mean right here on the ground.
SPEAKER_06So MyFuture NC was formed out of bipartisan legislation in 2019, specifically to hold up a state attainment goal, knowing that better educated citizens lead to a more prosperous state and counties. So we focus on reaching a goal of 2 million by 2030, 25 to 44 year olds who hold post-secondary degrees or industry-valued credentials. And we also think about jobs and credentials that lead to family sustaining wages so that we all have what we need to participate in community.
SPEAKER_03You talk about the sustaining wages. That's certainly one part of it. But when you think about the other doors that get opened by just simply having a credential, whether, again, that's something that's earned through a college promise class in a high school setting or something that is attained through two or four year education. How much does that change the value of the opportunity for work for students that achieve those credentials?
SPEAKER_06Well, I'll speak personally here. I was a K-12 educator, so my heart is in education. I think that every educational opportunity opens doors. However, there's also that economic development perspective that we really need to think strategically about what jobs are needed in counties, what jobs are lacking in counties, what are the needs of the community. Some of our underserved, underrepresented kind of population are the child care industry workers. Those wages don't lead to family sustaining wages, but we do lift up wages for or credentials toward child care degrees, also public service, you know, some of the healthcare professions start out at a lower rate, but then they have the opportunity to advance. So really thinking about the full community and and all the jobs that contribute to building community and lives that people want to live.
SPEAKER_03So when you think community and look at Watauga County's numbers specifically, what stands out to you both positively and in areas where there might be a need for improvement?
SPEAKER_06Well, uh, one of the just uh facts that shows that Watauga is really investing in K-12 and thinking about counselors, school counselors, and the role that they play in career development is that the rate for school-counselor ratio in Watauga County is 282 to 1 compared to 332 to 1 in Pierre County. So that means that students have more opportunities to walk alongside mentors to think about those opportunities with folks who have experience and can give them good guidance. Graduation rates are really good. Um, 93 out of 100 ninth graders who start in the pipeline actually graduate. So that's a really great rate and on-time enrollment. They get enrolled in college and career and credentialing kind of pathways at a high rate. In that 25 to 44-year-old population, a piece that we need to think about collectively is a decrease in population among 25 to 44-year-olds. Um that's a community, again, a community conversation about what's keeping folks there. I know we've had such challenges with COVID and then Hurricane Hugo that, or if Hugo, wrong hurricane, um Helene, that uh we need to think about, you know, where are those young families going and what's what's keeping them in and out of the area if if we think about that. So doing well, the collective energy. This isn't a data point, but just the collective energy between cross-sector partners in the county is um incredible in Wataga County. So I really appreciate that.
SPEAKER_03When you look at the Northwest overall, and and I'll give you a chance to cheerlead for your own area here, um, the the attainment score, some of the metrics that the state really looks at pointed toward the Northwest having quite a bit of positive activity. What do you attribute that to? I'm sure there are a variety of factors. What are some of the things that that lead to uh adoption of the mission that you talked about a few minutes ago?
SPEAKER_06Well, I say collective energy, and I think that certainly is it. We have three workforce boards in Wataga County, the High Country Workforce Development Board, down in some of my other counties, Western Piedmont Workforce Board, and then we have Choothills Regional Commission and their workforce board. The work that they're doing internally to connect with community partners is huge across the Northwest. We also have some regional representation who come together to plan regional meetings and talk about common interests and make sure that our sector partners know what they're doing across the regions. Um that's incredible. I'll go back to the K-12 system just a bit. Um not last year, but year before, we had a financial aid connections grant that was uh funded by some philanthropists across the state, and every superintendent in the Northwest region agreed to participate in that. So we really had a chance to focus on uh FAFSA completion and financial aid opportunities. That's led to uh really increased work and sharing, information, sharing across counties, willingness for economic developers, uh commissioners, policymakers to come together and think about what are we doing that's working well, and how do we elevate those best practices? So that really energy is just incredible in the Northwest Prosperity Zone.
SPEAKER_03As we're thinking about opportunity, sometimes the the opportunity for encouraging people down certain job paths comes around the wages that they could potentially earn. And you know, we've talked over the years about you know that that credential or degree helps unlock earning potential. But when you look at attainment across the region, really, not just Wataga County, at the higher paying jobs toward the credential alignment that starts in middle school, high school, and helps people find that pathways, it is is that growing along at the right rate for what you're hoping to see in terms of opportunity for students in those higher paying jobs? Are they getting exposed to the right thing at the right time so those those jobs can be part of an attainable solution for that?
SPEAKER_06Yes, and we can always do more of that. Um, the whole career development pathway and what career development specialists can do and walk alongside students and parents and family and faith-based community and community-based organizations. We all have inclinations and interest uh about where we want to go, but as adults, we know that those interests can show up in different kinds of occupations and the reality of having to support yourself, support your family when you have children, it's the real thing. So having a really um realistic understanding of what it costs to be where you'd like to be in life is important. Um had an interesting conversation, just a side note. Uh, an adult who had been in um the social service profession, and she was enjoying the job, making good money for what she where she wanted to go, but she felt like something was just personally missing. And so she made a job, career transition. She was still considerate of the money she was making, but shifted her salary just a bit to go into a different kind of uh piece of work that's still related to social service work, to DSS and some of those uh partners that she worked with before. But being able to access and navigate and think through where you want to be and what that means, that's a piece of this educational attainment puzzle too. While we have a specific 2030 goal, it's even more than that. It's being able to access pathways that bring people where you where they want to be.
SPEAKER_03It's interesting that you mentioned that because as we heard just a few minutes ago from Dr. Scott Strickler, the principal at Wataga High School, he mentioned that that through CTE, that opportunity to dip your toes into a profession oftentimes is is almost like the, hey, I I enjoyed that class, but I don't want to do that. You know, it it gives you the opportunity to really see, hey, is this a pathway I want to pursue? Or is this something that, like, yeah, that was fun, but thanks, but but no thanks. I think I'm gonna go down the other way. Paired with that, though, the opportunity for work-based learning, uh, programs like Rise Called Well Wataga, some some other things that actually get students into the workforce, how do you see that match the need or the um opportunities for credential attainment? Maybe get that excitement to the point where somebody does complete a pathway that maybe even they started previously.
SPEAKER_06Absolutely. So at the very end of that uh apprenticeship pathway, pre-apprentip, work-based learning pathway, their registered apprenticeship programs, those are kind of a gold standard because that's where the employer is actually paying for education and paying for work for an employee. And so it's it's the whole uh work package within an industry sector. Working backwards from that, you have those pre-apprentip opportunities where you know that that's a pathway you may be on, but you need a little bit more practice with it to really see if that's where you want to go to. But those lead to those jobs, and then you mentioned work-based learning opportunities, which is really where CTE fits. That's the exploration phase. Um, and those can go down uh even into middle school. I was an elementary school principal, and I'll be honest, you can actually start work-based learning conversations in elementary school, bring your parents to school day and talk about what you do, you know, all of those ways that we lift up what you want to do when you grow up. Um, but the more access, the more times that we talk about work and all the possibilities, then the more able that students are to really grab onto the right pathway and to move fast and to get where they want to go faster.
SPEAKER_03I was never able to able to have enough time to explain the complexities of uh a chamber job on like show and tell day. You know, it was a little bit too much for the kids at that time. But uh last question for you where where do we go from here? Uh again, attainment data uh out just a few months ago, you know, we're seeing graduation creep up and that next group of workers head in the direction where they intend to go. How do we keep this front and center in a community like Wataga and get more people engaged?
SPEAKER_06Well, I think understanding where um everyone fits in the attainment pipeline puzzles. So on our keeper, our uh county attainment profiles, for those uh folks who are familiar with those, we list a large number of key performance indicators that contribute to the educational attainment pipeline. We focus on the ones that relate to those 25 to 44 year olds the most in our work, but there are those that come before. Um NC pre-K measurements is what we measure to think about child care and quality education at those early education levels. We have um academic readiness measures. That's literacy. So, do you have those skills that help you think and navigate? And everyone needs those. So if we miss them at a K-12 level, where do we make those up? Bringing the partners who work in those areas as well as CTE and work-based learning and apprenticeships, um, two-year, four-year opportunities, all of those opportunities together. And think about our lanes. Like you just mentioned the chamber. Um, you have a very complex job at the chamber, there's lots of moving parts. It's the same in our community. We all have a place and a role to play. Making that visible, I think, is really a next step for um Watanga County specifically, but I think for the Northwest region, uh, we can map it out. We can use our attainment data to kind of map out all of the pathway, and then where do we fit? So the more times that we can come together and get some specific work and goals in place to reach our 2 million by 2030 goal, and we're talking about beyond. Um, as my future, we know that this work doesn't end in 2030. We we are closing the gap on the goal every day. There's still work to be done in the 25 to 44 population, and to think about our K-12 population and all those who are not yet in the 25 to 44 range. So community conversations, David, mapping out where we can do the work. Um, I I like to say, how can we be together and apart? Because everybody's work's different, but we need to bring that work together and synthesize it into a collective impact momentum.
SPEAKER_03Well, very well said, and and we certainly appreciate your work in keeping us all together and accountable and moving in the right direction. So, congratulations for everything that was attained in the this recent round of reporting here in the Northwest. And we will do our part to keep the flag up at the top of the poll and uh and do what we can to continue to advance this work forward. So appreciate your time and all of your effort. We look forward to keeping engaged on this topic in the future.
SPEAKER_06Well, thank you, and thanks for an opportunity to keep pounding that educational attainment drum. We will meet our two million by 2034.
SPEAKER_03Thanks once again to Dr. Case for joining us. Again, more details available at myfuturnc.org. Some finer points about the statewide data trend is coming up next. You are listening to Mind Your Business.
SPEAKER_00Are you a young professional looking to expand your network? The High Country Young Professionals, affectionately dubbed the High Country Young Rose, is a dedicated group of 200 plus professional young adults under the age of 40 serving in various industries across the high country. Join us for our casual networking event on the first Tuesday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. As we visit locations across the high country. Events are free of charge, however donated for our free data. Not a chamber member? That's okay. No membership needed to join us. You have to be under 40. Learn more about high tech video frozen at bootchamers.com slash HYP.
SPEAKER_02Mind your business. Brought to you by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, offering sales, leasing, consulting, and appraisal services. Visit Appalachian CRE.com.
SPEAKER_03There are a couple of numbers worth adding as an exclamation point on our conversation this week. North Carolina ranks second in the entire nation for percentage of K 12 students enrolled in CTE courses, 36% of all students trailing only the state of Nebraska. As Dr. Case mentioned, the Northwest region achieved the highest credential attainment rate in the state last year at That is a result of school systems, educators, and community partners doing the consistent daily work of connecting students with meaningful pathways. Here's one more figure that puts a bow on this whole conversation. CTE concentrators. Students who complete a second or third course level in a career pathway graduate at higher rates than their non-CTE peers. Students who participated in North Carolina's career and college promise, CTE pathways were more likely to graduate from high school and more likely to enroll in college. For economically disadvantaged students, those gains were even more pronounced. What we saw Tuesday night at Wataga High School is what all of this looks like in practice. A room full of students, families, employers, educators there to cheer them on, and understand that the connection between learning and earning is not something that happens automatically. It takes intentional work from every side of that table, and we are glad to see the progress that we've made here in Wataga County, especially as it reflects against the rest of the state. We'll close out the episode with a few chamber calendar updates after this. You are listening, Mind Your Business. Back to wrap up this installment of Mind Your Business. Thanks again to Dr. Kim Case from MyFuture NC for joining us, and congratulations to all of the students, over 150 of them, who have earned credentials in CTE courts work through Watauga High School. Some chamber calendar information to close us down. First up, business after hours on May 14th. This one's worth marking. We're heading to Grandfather Mountain for a multi-chamber event. And we'll also see the opening of Yanny's Clubhouse, a new engagement opportunity in the sciences for school-age children. It's already open and very, very popular. You'll get a chance to see it. You can register for that event online at Boonechamber.com. Vision Northwest North Carolina around the corner. That's May 21st at the Watauka campus of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. As we've set the focus this year, transportation, funding, the future, and how we move people and commerce around Northwest North Carolina into years to come. If you have not registered yet, here's a slight nudge for you. Early bird registration deadline. That's coming up Friday, April 25th. Get all of the details at Boonchamber.com. That will do it for this episode of Mind Your Business, this program written and produced each week by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Thanks to WATA for putting us back on the airwaves each week. And thanks as always to James Milner and the team at Appalachian Commercial Real Estate for making the podcast version of this program possible. Are you not yet a subscriber? That is an easy fix. Just search for Mind Your Business wherever you get your podcast. You can also visit us online anytime at BoomChamber.com. Until next week, so long, everybody.
