Governor Visits Career Academy to Announce JNCG Program Expansion

Talk about taking it to the source: on Monday, Henderson County Career Academy students told Gov. Roy Cooper how the Jobs for North Carolina’s Graduates (JNCG) program has impacted their personal growth in transitioning into the workforce or post-secondary education.

The Career Academy’s JNCG officers welcomed Cooper to their regular meeting Monday afternoon, where they voted on next year’s theme (“Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”) and were among the first to hear the governor’s pledge to support – and expand – the JNCG program in North Carolina this year.

In the 2017-18 school year, the Career Academy was one of seven high schools in which the Communities In Schools of North Carolina piloted JNCG, a student-centered college and career readiness program. Part of the national network of Jobs for America’s Graduates, JNCG placed College and Career Specialists – like Virginia Haynes at Early College – in the pilot schools to prepare students to achieve academic, career, and life success.

Three years later, “Virginia Haynes’ program can’t be topped,” said Jill Cox, chief operating officer with CISC. “We’ve been trying to get (the governor) out to see this program because it’s cutting edge, and has such a neat set-up with the (Blue Ridge) Community College.”

Which is why the school’s JNCG chapter meeting was the choice spot for the governor to announce additional funding for the program on Monday.

“It has done so well that I’ve come to this school to announce they we’re going to provide $825,000 to continue this program (statewide),” Cooper told the Career Academy students and officials who had gathered for the special meeting.

The N.C. Department of Commerce provides the primary support for the Jobs for North Carolina Graduates program, which is part of Gov. Cooper’s NC Job Ready initiative, explained Cox. Not only will this NC Job Ready grant support the seven schools in their third year of JNCG implementation, it will expand the program to Davidson River School in adjacent Transylvania County.

At the meeting, 2019 Career Academy graduates told the governor how JNCG had provided them with the skills they needed to obtain and maintain the jobs they currently have in the community, and current students shared how the program was improving their outlook for the day after graduation.

“Before I had JNCG I had a lot of anxiety – mostly because I’m autistic and have a processing disorder,” Jordann told Cooper. “But as I started doing more group discussions in JNCG, it’s helped me have a lot more communication skills – like even talking to you now.”

“That gives me the impetus to want to do more,” Cooper told her. “Thank you.”