Through the “Our State, Our Work” program, we heard loud and clear that a big roadblock standing between Opportunity Youth and living wage employment is a need for building enhanced employability skills in a way that is effective, engaging, and low-cost.

Carolina Across 100 has partnered with the North Carolina Community College System to develop a no-cost course, “7 Steps to Get Hired: The Keys to Building Your Future,” designed with North Carolina’s Opportunity Youth in mind. The course is hosted and managed by the NCCCS Virtual Learning Community.

We learned from “Our State, Our Work” teams and workforce development leaders that support exists for young adults who are ready to build their skills and seek living wage employment. But, Opportunity Youth can be a difficult audience to reach. They are busy navigating life: securing housing and transportation, facing food insecurity, re-entering the workforce after being justice-involved, adjusting to life after foster care, or juggling a role as a new parent. They may not be plugged into networks where opportunities to upskill and build their careers are evident. Local providers who offer programs, training, and support for these young adults are asking for better ways to find and connect with Opportunity Youth online.

Carolina Across 100 is partnering with Hive Digital to launch a marketing experiment designed to:

1. Connect young adults ages 16-24 with the “7 Steps to Get Hired: The Keys to Building Your Future” course
2. Offer these young adults an opportunity to connect with local teams, workforce development specialists, community college partners, and non-profit professional for support engaging with and completing the course, and other local, supportive services that they may not have been previously aware of.

In addition to boosting local connections with young adults ready to upskill, the marketing experiment will yield tested marketing results about how to best reach Opportunity Youth and other young adults online, findings that will be communicated to local partners for ongoing use as they work to reach these young adults who are so critical to our economy.

Employability skills won’t be enough, of course. Irrespective of career path, everyone needs digital skills in today’s job market.

Carolina Across 100 reached the goal of successfully connecting 100 Opportunity Youth with complimentary access to earn a Microsoft Fundamentals certification. These digital skills are essential in today’s workplace. Reminder to learners seeking certification through this offer: you must complete the certification exam (either online or in-person) by September 26, 2024.