By Jane Stancill
Executive Director of Communications
NC Community College System

RALEIGH (August 14, 2019) – This week, the NC Community College System launches its first statewide marketing campaign, communicating with one voice about the value of community colleges.

Funded initially with private support from the NC Community Colleges Foundation and the John M. Belk Endowment, the effort started last month with billboards and radio spots, but has now kicked into high gear with TV, digital and print ads.

The message to prospective students is simple: Choose a higher education focused on getting you hired – “Your Hire Education.”

The aim is to reach people across North Carolina who can climb the economic ladder if they have the skills necessary to compete in an evolving workforce. North Carolina’s 58 community colleges provide that opportunity, with 275 certificate and degree programs in high-demand fields such as health care and advanced manufacturing. Community colleges offer myriad paths to success, whether it be in short-term job training, two-year associate degree programs or dual enrollment during high school.

The ads have a fresh and modern vibe, with community colleges depicted as an alternative to the status quo, giving students a jump on a new start.

The marketing campaign coincides with the state’s ambitious initiative to improve educational attainment, known as myFutureNC. Earlier this year, political, education and business leaders agreed on a goal to have 2 million North Carolinians (ages 25-44) with a high-quality college degree or credential by 2030 – a level of education that currently only 1.3 million have.

“We know that by next year, two-thirds of the jobs in North Carolina will require education beyond high school,” said Peter Hans, president of the NC Community College System and co-chair of the myFutureNC Commission. “We have to spread the word that North Carolina’s 58 community colleges offer accessible, flexible and affordable options that lead students to a better future.”

The campaign includes a website, yourhireeducation.com, that features success stories from community college graduates, potential salaries for specific occupations and a map showing prospective students fields of study available at the 58 colleges.

The system educates about 700,000 students a year, feeding the state’s sustained job growth in the past few years. But even though unemployment is only about 4 percent, too many people struggle in low-wage jobs. Economic prosperity eludes many areas of the state at the same time employers say they have trouble hiring people with the right skills.The campaign’s slogans – “Bigger Paychecks,” “Second Chances,” “Be A Boss,” and “Rewarding Careers” – suggest a different outcome.