Governor Roy Cooper has declared March 2023 as Students@Work? Month in North Carolina. Throughout the month, businesses across the state will help 25,500 students learn first-hand about jobs and industries in their local communities and throughout North Carolina.

“Getting young people interested in a career by seeing up close how it’s done can help employers fill the jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Governor Cooper. “Students@Work can spark a student’s interest in a career early so they can take the classes they need and get relevant training before they even graduate.”

Throughout March, 270 businesses will provide virtual career awareness opportunities for middle school students throughout North Carolina. The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction are the primary partners for the Students@Work? program, now in its 13th year.

As part of Students@Work? Month, students will get a chance to learn about future careers in industries including energy production, health care, hospitality, finance, skilled trades, manufacturing, communications, technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, education, public service, and many more.

This year, three state agencies are also participating in the program: the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and NCBCE, which operates out of the Office of the Governor.

Students@Work is run through North Carolina’s Work-Based Learning Navigator. The Navigator is a free online tool co-developed by NCBCE that connects education to career. The platform brings together members of the business, education, and workforce development communities in a space where they can post, search for, and measure work-based learning opportunities.

The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) is a business-led, education non-profit (501-c3) that operates out of the Office of the Governor. Since 1983, NCBCE has provided a critical link between North Carolina business leaders and the state’s education decision-makers, helping to create connections between the education curriculum and the overall work readiness of people across the state.

Read the Proclamation.