Plugging the Leaks: Strengthening North Carolina’s Education-to-Career Pipeline

North Carolina’s long-term workforce strength depends on one critical factor: ensuring more students successfully move from high school to postsecondary credentials and meaningful careers. Yet too often, students fall off that path somewhere between graduation, enrollment, and completion. This challenge—often called the “leaky pipeline”—has real consequences for students, communities, and the state’s economic future.

To address this issue head-on, myFutureNC is hosting a focused session designed for the professionals closest to this work: school counselors, career development coordinators, and special populations coordinators. This session examines where and why students disengage from the education-to-career pathway and, more importantly, what can be done to keep them moving forward.

Using current statewide data, participants will explore trends in high school graduation, credential attainment, and postsecondary completion. The session connects these data points directly to MyFutureNC’s statewide attainment goals, helping educators see how daily K–12 career development efforts play a vital role in long-term outcomes. From graduation planning to early exposure to careers and credentials, the conversation centers on strategies that schools can realistically implement—and scale.

Beyond the data, the session emphasizes action. Participants will engage with real-world examples and forward-thinking approaches that strengthen student persistence after high school. The goal is not simply awareness, but practical next steps educators can take within their schools or districts to better support students on the journey to high-value credentials and careers.

This session is led by Dr. Kim Case and Toni Blount, Regional Impact Managers at myFutureNC, who bring deep experience working with schools, districts, and regional partners across the state. Their work focuses on turning data into strategy and strategy into results.

This is more than a professional learning opportunity—it’s a call to action. By better understanding where the pipeline leaks and how to reinforce it, educators can help ensure more North Carolina students cross the finish line prepared for success in a rapidly changing workforce.