Feb. 1—GUILFORD COUNTY — Guilford County Schools saw a big jump in the number of work-related credentials its CTE students earned last year, but it was outpaced by a number of much smaller school systems, including Randolph County Schools and Davidson County Schools.

GCS students earned 8,250 credentials in the 2022-23 school year, up from 7,118 the previous year, the 2022-23 Credential Attainment Data Report said.

But while GCS is the third-largest school district in the state, the number of credentials its students earned ranks only eighth. Among the smaller school districts where students earned more credentials were Davidson County Schools, with 8,893, and Randolph County Schools, with 8,342.

GCS had a credential attainment rate of 45%, based on enrollment in CTE classes versus credentials earned. The statewide average was 41%. Davidson’s rate was 38.8%, and Randolph’s was 56.5%.

Thomasville City Schools students earned just 464 credentials, with an attainment rate of only 27.7%.

More than 325,000 credentials were earned statewide in the 2022-23 academic year, the highest in the 13 years that North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction and the Office of Career and Technical Education have collected data.

The statewide 41% credential attainment rate for the 2022-23 school year is a jump from 28% in 2021-22, reflecting a statewide emphasis on increasing CTE education and work credentials. Additionally, there was a 44% increase in attainment of credentials that align with the North Carolina Workforce Credentials partners list, a list of in-demand credentials created in partnership with employers and workforce development organizations.

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said these credentials are exceptionally valuable because they indicate a student’s mastery of in-demand job skills that do not require a college degree.

“Aligning the K-12 education system with workforce needs has long been a priority for me. This report is fantastic news for the state of North Carolina because it shows the hard work that CTE educators across the state are doing to bridge the skills gap,” she said. “The process of earning industry-recognized credentials gives students an advantage in a competitive labor market and real-world experience. For potential employers, a credential is a sign that a student has both the knowledge and durable skills they need to succeed in the workplace.”

More than half of the top 10 NCWF credentials earned in 2022-23 were related to computer software.

According to the N.C. Department of Commerce and its long-term employment projections, computer and mathematical occupations are projected to grow the fastest among all jobs by 2030.

The impact of career and technical education goes beyond the courses themselves. CTE concentrators — students who successfully complete a second- or third-level course that builds upon skills acquired in a prerequisite course — are more likely to graduate on time than their peers. Statewide, the graduation rate for CTE concentrators is 98%, more than 11 points higher than the statewide rate of 86.5%.