myFutureNC’s mission is to prepare North Carolina for the future by empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and ensuring our economic viability in a global economy. Founded in 2019, myFutureNC is working across sectors and in communities throughout the state to:
- Increase the number of North Carolinians with college degrees or business-aligned credentials.
- Promote alignment between education programs provided and business/industry needs.
- Ultimately improve and increase quality educational opportunities for all North Carolinians.
On February 20, 2019, myFutureNC unveiled its goal and bold vision for the future of education in our state: We will work to ensure that by 2030, 2 million North Carolinians have a high-quality credential or post-secondary degree. Additionally, on June 26, 2019, myFutureNC's attainment goal was codified into law by the North Carolina General Assembly with a signature of our Governor (SL2019-55: (HB664)).
What has your organization learned through partnering and collaboration to achieve your mission?
Partnerships and collaboration are central to the foundation of myFutureNC. Today, fewer than half of North Carolinians ages 25-44 hold a post-secondary degree or high-quality credential, but the vast majority of newly created jobs require education beyond a high school diploma. Recognizing that no one system or organization can tackle this crisis alone, myFutureNC was created to bring together North Carolina’s thought leaders in education, business, philanthropy, faith-based and non-profit communities, and government representatives. Our strategic plan calls for a cross-sector, long-term, coordinated and stakeholder-generated Call-to-Action for our state. The influence of top leaders of different sectors represented on the myFutureNC Board provides us with significant influence at the state and local levels. Our vision is for a state-led and state-supported plan that is locally-owned and actualized – a vision that relies on partnerships and collaboration.
What strides has your organization made towards achieving a more equitable society? What have been your lessons learned?
Educational opportunities are not equitably distributed across our state. Far fewer North Carolina students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and minority populations earn post-secondary credentials than do students with greater economic stability. Our vision begins with an ambitious goal that by 2030, 2 million North Carolinians have a high-quality credential or post-secondary degree – a goal that will only be achieved if we can reach students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Embedded in our organization’s values are upward mobility and economic prosperity opportunities for all North Carolinians.
Achieving our goal starts with a shared vision for attainment in North Carolina. From there, we strive to align actions that will improve postsecondary readiness, access, and completion. And finally, we will facilitate alignment of North Carolina’s educational attainment efforts with its talent needs and industry trends. If we can achieve these goals, North Carolina will be a far more equitable society.
How has your organization innovated or adapted to meet growing or changing demands placed on your organization?
The importance and urgency of our work has been elevated by the recent pandemic and subsequent economic decline. While the world has changed, our goal remains the same. Although all lives have been affected greatly by the pandemic, in general, those without post-secondary degrees or high-quality credentials have been hit the hardest. We see education as both a short-term recovery strategy and a long-term measure to ensure our citizens have the required skills and education to navigate a fluctuating economy moving forward.
