Special to IFN
The recent Iredell Ready Workforce Forum, presented by Burroughs Welcome Fund and the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center, brought together key community leaders, elected leaders, educators, and industry representatives to discuss the progress and future goals of educational attainment in Iredell County.
The event featured notable speakers, including Jenn Bosser, president & CEO of the Iredell Economic Development Corporation; Senemeht Olatunji, Regional Impact Manager, and Gina Zhang, Director of Strategic Initiatives, of myFutureNC; and keynote speaker Bill Daggett, founder of Successful Practices Network.
Iredell Ready Achievements
• Economic Growth: Iredell County has seen a 35% increase in the average wage from 2018 to 2023.
• Educational Attainment: The high school graduation rate has increased from 90% in 2021 to 91% in 2023. The percentage of residents with a degree or credential has risen from 51.4% to 54.5%.
• Student Credentials: Credentials earned by high school students have increased from 1,200 to 5,663.
• Enrollment Growth: Annual student enrollment at Mitchell Community College has increased year over year, with a 9% to 15% increase in the Spring of 2025, outpacing the state average of 5%.
• Postsecondary Plans: More than 70% of high school graduates plan to enroll in a postsecondary institution.
Iredell Ready focuses on building pathways to better futures through increased industry engagement and collaboration with K-12 initiatives. The program was launched by a partnership called the Iredell Industry & Education Alliance. At the forum, Iredell Ready announced a collaboration with myFutureNC and The Hunt Institute to further educational attainment goals. Additionally, Iredell Ready launched a Corporate Partners Investment opportunity to engage industry in driving strategic workforce priorities.
Building Pathways to Better Futures
myFutureNC presented the State of Educational Attainment in North Carolina and Iredell County progress towards the goal of having 2 million North Carolinians aged 25-44 with high-quality credentials or postsecondary degrees by 2030.
Key points from myFutureNC’s presentation include:
• Statewide Progress: Since the establishment of myFutureNC, the number of residents aged 25-44 holding a degree or credential has increased from 1,450,249 in 2019 to 1,664,892 in 2023, representing a 15% growth.
• Attainment Goal: The target is to reach 2 million by 2030, with a current shortfall of 13,279 individuals.
• County Progress: 79 out of 100 counties have increased their attainment rates since 2019, with Iredell County showing a 3.1 percentage point increase from 51.4% in 2019 to 54.5% in 2023.
• New Standardized Language for the State of Educational Attainment: myFutureNC revealed a new standardized language to measure the state of educational attainment across all 100 North Carolina counties with a goal to ensure that every county sets a local attainment goal, creates a plan, and executes it to increase educational attainment.
• Iredell is Attainment Ready: Iredell County has achieved the status of “Attainment Ready”, along with eight other counties across the state to achieve this level. The county’s efforts in fostering cross-sector collaboration and building comprehensive plans are aligned with the broader state goals.
Despite the progress, there is more work to do to close the gap in educational attainment and ensure that all residents earn a living wage. Approximately 43% of Iredell County residents ages 25-44 do not hold a postsecondary degree or credential, and many do not earn a living wage.
The forum discussed various initiatives to address these challenges, including enhancing K-12 education, promoting apprenticeships and internships, and increasing corporate engagement in workforce development efforts. The focus is on creating a comprehensive and sustainable plan to increase educational attainment and workforce readiness. Cross-sector collaboration is essential, with efforts to engage local government, industry, and educational institutions in building a skilled workforce.
Daggett, a national education advocate, delivered a keynote address focusing on the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on education and the skills needed for future jobs. He emphasized that “most workers will not be replaced by AI. They will be replaced by a person with skills that AI does not possess.”
Building Pathways to Better Futures
Key Points from Dr. Daggett:
• Workforce Challenges: Workforce issues remain the most critical concern for businesses, surpassing inflation, wages, and regulations. Recent challenges include an inadequate employee pipeline, chronic absenteeism, poor work ethic, and mental health issues among workers.
• Demographic Shifts: The U.S. population is aging, with a significant increase in individuals over 65 years old projected by 2035, while population of young people is declining following a decrease in the birthrate. This shift is accelerating AI and will have an impact on the types of skills needed.
• The Future of Work: AI will eliminate administrative and tedious tasks, requiring workers to focus on critical thinking, analyzing results, and making decisions based on provided information. Soft Skills will become even more important.
Daggett cited three reports which emphasize this point:
• The Future of Jobs Report | World Economic Forum 2025
• Deloitte The State of AI, Now Decides Next I Deloitte 2024
• Defining the skills citizens will need in the future world of work I McKinsey & Company 2023
• Micro-Credentials: The private sector increasingly values micro-credentials, which may be more achievable for students and align better with industry needs. He emphasized a need for educational institutions to shift to respond to shorter term learning that will lead to industry valued credentials.
• Education-Industry Gap: There is a growing disconnect between the skills taught in educational institutions and those required in the workplace. Nationally, only 43% of students starting postsecondary programs earn a degree within six years, and 41% of recent graduates are underemployed.
• Youth Trends: Today’s youth are experiencing a shift from play-based to screen-based childhoods, impacting their cognitive development. The most connected generation has become the least connected in real-world interactions.
• Instructional Strategies: The issue lies not in the curriculum but in instructional strategies and design. Educators need to adapt their methods to align with the skills, knowledge, and attributes required in the modern workplace.
• AI in Education: AI can assist in creating lesson plans, assessments, curriculum development, and personalized tutoring. Future jobs will require critical thinking skills, including writing effective prompts, data analysis, sophisticated editing, and leveraging available tools. The value proposition to teachers is AI will help them and save them time.
• Holistic Education: Education systems must focus on developing skills that AI cannot replicate, such as creativity, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. A holistic approach to education that integrates technology while fostering essential human skills is needed.
Building Pathways to Better Futures
Iredell County is making commendable strides in educational attainment, contributing to the state’s objective of having 2 million residents with high-quality credentials or post-secondary degrees by 2030. Continued efforts and collaboration will be essential to achieving and sustaining workforce alignment and economic prosperity. Daggett recognized both myFutureNC and Iredell Ready for the work that they are doing to support workforce development.
ABOUT IREDELL READY
Iredell Ready is a workforce initiative founded by the Iredell Alliance to align, identify, and enhance strategic priorities across the workforce development pipeline from early childhood education to retirement. Working with industry partners, career seekers, and students, Iredell Ready is creating a diverse, equal, and inclusive environment for the citizens of Iredell County to grow. Our mission is to cultivate career exploration, promote lifelong learning opportunities, and close the skills gap for Iredell County employers. Through a strategic vision and with the combined efforts of industry and workforce development partners, Iredell Ready will attract, train, and retain an educated and skilled workforce that advances Iredell County’s economic prosperity. For more information, visit www.iredellready.com.