Gov. Roy Cooper launched his NC Job Ready Employer Roundtable series at UNC Charlotte, bringing business and education leaders together to discuss workforce development in the Charlotte region and across the state.
"Companies from around the world are coming to North Carolina because of our talented workforce and fantastic community colleges and universities,” Cooper said during the event on Thursday, Feb. 13. “To keep these businesses growing in our communities, we need to invest in education from cradle to career."
Since 2017, more than 62,000 jobs have been announced in the state, with more than 6,900 in Mecklenburg County, along with a $539 million investment.
The event was an opportunity for Cooper to act on his promise of working with executives from companies that have recently relocated or announced expansions in North Carolina to ensure they have the workforce they need.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and Chancellor Philip L. Dubois joined Gov. Cooper for the event.
“I am delighted to be on campus at our University,” said Lyles. “It is very fitting to bring business leaders and education leaders together, as we depend upon each other to succeed.”
Participants from Allstate, AvidXchange, Chime Solutions, Ernst & Young, Honeywell, Lending Tree and Stratifyd agreed that education plays a crucial role in workforce development and expressed a need to recruit and retain skilled and educated talent for their companies to succeed.
The executives spoke of the excellent partnerships with UNC Charlotte and the students and graduates they are hiring. Cheryl Lim, vice president of corporate human resources at Honeywell said, “UNC Charlotte is our one stop for finding graduates across many fields, including finance and engineering.”
“We have been proud to work alongside the state, city, county and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance in recruiting the companies here at the table,” said Dubois. “Many of you have already hired our talented graduates, provided valuable internships, and participated in career fairs, hosted open houses, met with faculty and deans to explore deeper engagements. If, by some chance, we haven’t begun to work with you, we are ready and able.”
Central Piedmont Community College President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Charlotte Works President Danielle Frazier, Johnson C. Smith University Director of STEM Innovation Terik Tidwell and Dr. Patrick Madsen, director of UNC Charlotte’s Career Center, also participated in the panel to address how their organizations can assist companies with workforce needs and pipeline development.
“At the UNC Charlotte Career Center, we prepare and connect students and alumni, helping them to understand their return on investment,” said Madsen.
Engaged employees stay and help their companies succeed, he said. The career center also consults with employers to ensure they are marketing their open positions in a way that will attract students.