October 2026

Recognizing the People

Who Connect Opportunity

Governor Josh Stein has proclaimed October Workforce Development Professionals Month in North Carolina.

Across northeastern North Carolina, people working in schools, colleges, workforce organizations, businesses, and community agencies help others explore possibilities, build skills, and navigate barriers. Each contributes something different, and the connections among them make more possible.

This month, we’re highlighting a few examples of that shared work. Thank you for the expertise, relationships, and care you bring to our region’s workforce ecosystem.

Read the Governor’s proclamation.

Real World, Shared Effort

What happens when a paycheck has to cover housing, transportation, groceries, childcare, and an unexpected traffic ticket? Students explored those decisions at Northeastern Workforce Development Board’s annual Real World Northeastern event, a hands-on simulation connecting career choices, income, and everyday expenses.

Each student received a life profile and worked to balance a monthly budget. Along the way, the “Life Happens” booth introduced unexpected costs or good fortune, while Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office officers issued simulated tickets that could send students to traffic court.

Making that experience possible took a regional effort. Volunteers from Turning Point and Rivers East Workforce Development Boards joined in, with Rivers East also bringing NextGen participants. Albemarle Commission staff and board members volunteered alongside representatives of businesses and agencies throughout the region. Donors provided prizes and helped cover event costs. Andrea DeSantis, Assistant Secretary for Workforce Solutions at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and Tyrrell County Manager David Clegg also attended.

The ecosystem connection: Experiences like Real World give young people a place to connect career decisions with the lives they want to build. They also show how many ways there are to contribute. Sharing expertise, staffing a booth, bringing participants, or helping cover costs all strengthen the learning experience. Thank you to the Northeastern WDB team and everyone who helped make it possible.

Photo Courtesy of Northeastern Workforce Development Board

A Full-Circle Moment at R-CCC

During a routine doctor’s visit, Roanoke-Chowan Community College President Murray J. Williams recognized her nurse: Francisco Aguilar, a 2024 graduate of the college’s nursing program.

Today, Francisco works at Roanoke-Chowan Community Health Center, caring for people in the same community he calls home. An unexpected encounter offered a personal reminder of what the college’s work makes possible.

The ecosystem connection: A graduate’s success reaches beyond the individual. When education connects with local employment, the benefits extend to patients, families, employers, and the wider community. Francisco’s story makes that connection visible: someone who once sat in a local classroom now provides care close to home. For those helping people explore careers, navigate training, or take their next step, this is a reminder that your contribution can reach further than you get to see.

Photo Courtesy of Roanoke-Chowan Community College

Connecting STEM Learning to

Our Region’s Energy Future

Halifax County Schools is bringing a new hands-on learning opportunity to William R. Davie Middle STEM Academy through a partnership with NC GreenPower. During its October meeting, the Board of Education approved a Solar+ Schools grant agreement providing approximately $52,000 toward a planned 20-kilowatt solar installation on campus.

Students will use the project to explore renewable energy, analyze real-world data, and apply STEM concepts. NC GreenPower’s Solar+ Schools program supports that learning with monitoring equipment, curriculum, and teacher training, helping educators bring energy technology into the classroom.

The ecosystem connection: Eastern North Carolina needs people with electrical and technical skills to support energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure. A newly announced $1 million grant from the BlackRock Foundation will help the North Carolina Business Committee for Education expand Careers Electric Summer Academies into eastern North Carolina, opening more opportunities for high school students to explore and prepare for electrical careers.

Experiences like Halifax’s solar project can spark interest early. Educators help students connect classroom learning to careers, employers show how those skills are used, and training partners create opportunities to take the next step. Together, those contributions help connect young people’s curiosity with our region’s workforce needs.

Learn about NC GreenPower’s Solar+ Schools program.

Photo Courtesy of Halifax County Schools

Help People See What’s Possible

Career information becomes more meaningful when people can see themselves in the story. Join us for the 11th Annual Career Guidance Retreat: Tell YOUR Story to explore how storytelling can help students and job seekers understand careers, pathways, and possibilities.

If you help people plan their next steps in northeastern North Carolina, this retreat is for you. Connect with colleagues across the region, learn from storytelling experts, and practice what you’ve learned.

The ecosystem connection: Each of us sees a different part of the career journey. Sharing our stories helps students and job seekers see what’s possible, while helping partners learn from one another’s work. We’ll also explore how to amplify those stories so they reach more people. When effective approaches travel beyond one organization or county, others can adapt them, build new connections, and strengthen opportunities across the region.

Monday, November 16 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Martin Community College, Williamston

Lunch provided. Please register by Monday, November 9.