WHEREAS, Students@Work is a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education; and
WHEREAS, through this partnership roughly 274,000 North Carolina public school students have participated in Students@Work celebrations and activities over the past eleven years; and
WHEREAS, this month-long program is aimed at students across our state who may not be aware of the many career opportunities available to them; throughout the program students are introduced to professional opportunities in their community and given the chance to learn through real-world, work-based learning experiences such as job shadowing, internships, and mentoring; and
WHEREAS, career awareness is a critical first step in integrating work-based learning into the lives of North Carolina students, adding relevancy to their classrooms, helping them to successfully navigate career pathways, and ensuring that North Carolina is Job Ready; and
WHEREAS, the economic future of our state depends upon a highly skilled workforce, and all North Carolinians need access to the education and training required for career success; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages business leaders across our state to provide career awareness opportunities for middle school students;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March, 2021, as “STUDENTS@WORK MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.