More North Carolinians are earning some kind of workforce credential, but the state is still not quite on pace to meet its 2030 goal, according to a new report from North Carolina workforce education group myFutureNC.

A workforce credential is kind of certificate or degree to work in a certain field, and the state wants 2 million adults aged 25- to 44-years-old to have one by 2030.

Other WRAL Top Stories

The report indicates some progress toward the goal, which is key in a state that frequently draws major companies and new jobs  —  an ongoing priority for many of the state's economic leaders. And the numbers have a potential to grow.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reported this month a continued increase the number of high school students taking college courses through the state's Career and College Promise program. Almost 40,000 students took at least one college course last school year, and about 2,000 students obtained at least one industry-recognized credential at a specialized high school.

Nearly 1.7 million North Carolina 25- to 44-year-olds had a degree or workforce credential by the end of 2023, compared with just less than 1.2 million who don't, according to the new report from myFutureNC, released Thursday. The percentage of that age group with a credential was 58.4% in 2023, up from 53.4% in 2022.

The increase is due in part to more people with credentials moving to North Carolina. Cecilia Holden, myFutureNC's chief executive, notes that more North Carolinians are also obtaining credentials. The state's 25- to 44-year-old population has grown, but the group's educational attainment has grown more quickly, she said.

The group myFutureNC was formed after the General Assembly in 2019 set a goal of 2 million North Carolina residents having a workforce-ready credential. The group, at the directive of lawmakers, studies the progress toward that goal, identifies problems and solutions along the way and advocates for changes that would help the state reach that goal.

In 2019, the group projected it would fall short of the 2 million mark by 400,000 people. Now, it projects to fall short by about 55,000 people.

"This is progress," Holden said.

The improvement is because of efforts to draw back in people who started a degree program but who didn't finish it, Holden said.

About one-third of people go on to earn a college degree within six years of graduating high school, Holden said. "And yet, two-thirds of our jobs demand higher levels of education. So for those that don't go on, that's where you get to the adult learner population, and needing to pull them back in, and with that comes more challenges than had they just gone on straight from high school."

Supporting them might include more financial help, childcare or guidance, she said.

Some colleges are doing more to attract those students back and help them graduate, she said.

On Thursday, myFutureNC recognized several groups working toward boosting educational attainment, including two programs that work with formerly incarcerated people to earn credentials, Campbell University's Second Chance Initiatives and Wayne Community College's Reentry Council.

Distance can also be a challenge for some students.

Most of the state's 100 counties had growth in the share of residents with a credential, but 21 didn't. Holden said those were in rural areas, where people may have farther distances to travel to reach the nearest community college.

The state has 58 community colleges. Holden hopes colleges can work on having a presence in nearby counties without one.

The biggest sectors in which North Carolina still needs qualified people are the health and science, education and training, and transportation, distribution and logistics.

"At the top of the list continues to be health care, health care, health care," Holden said. The state always needs more nurses.

But she also emphasized high-quality educators working in K-12 schools, colleges and universities.

In its report Thursday, myFutureNC listed several requests for state lawmakers to consider to help boost the state's educational attainment.

Those include $14.5 million in help for public and private college students to finish their programs and $10 million toward higher-demand credential programs.