Students must stay in school and adapt to a global economy if they want a good job, and business partnerships can help them to succeed.
This was the message Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton conveyed at the Champions of Education breakfast Tuesday morning in Hickory.
"Education is market-driven," Dalton said, adding that dropping out of school is, too. "What the mills were looking for was athletic ability and dexterity and strength. We have got to ramp it up. It's going to take public and private partnerships like this."
Dalton said today's students must not only get an education, but they also must learn to analyze information. When the students are in the professional world, they will have a "new corporate structure that is horizontal," talking with offices in other countries, Dalton said.
At the Champions of Education meeting, Dalton said the early college high schools scattered across the state are designed to increase the rigorous coursework students learn, while saving the students and their families money at the same time.
Early college high schools allow students to dual-enroll in high school and community college simultaneously, earning their associate's degree and their high school degree in five years. Students are not required to pay tuition.
The idea, part of the Innovative Education Act of 2003, was introduced by Dalton when he was a senator. As lieutenant governor, Dalton and legislators are now expanding early colleges by partnering them with businesses through the JOBS (Joining Our Businesses and Schools) commission, and looking to focus them on specific career fields.
"With the JOBS commission, we listen to the people of North Carolina to see what will bring industry into the area and make sure students will stay in school and prepare for jobs in that area," Dalton said.
He said the early colleges can be more aligned to prepare students for careers in the surrounding area's economic development, such as linguistics, health sciences or finance.
"We can morph the early colleges that have already been created into themed colleges," Dalton said. "We want businesses to support them."
He said business leaders could support the students through internships, job shadowing or mentoring and answering questions online.
"We have to give kids the ability to network and analyze information," Dalton said. "We have to have the community come in and surround us in education during hard times to help us succeed."
He said North Carolina has a history of putting a priority on education.
"This is the first state with a state-owned university," Dalton said. "We led again with the first state-owned college system."
He said the state must continue to lead.
"It's a global world, and we have to be ready for it, or we'll fall behind."
On the Net:
Champions of Education: http://www.championsofeducation.org/
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