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Caldwell County Schools ranks No. 10 among all school districts in North Carolina for the number of work-related credentials students earned in career and technical education.
Caldwell County students earned 6,668 credentials during the 2022-23 school year, according to the recently released 2022-23 Credential Attainment Data Report. The number of credentials is on par with the two previous years, with Caldwell County students earning 6,686 credentials during the 2021-22 academic year and 6,516 credentials in 2020-21.
The school system also has the second highest credential attainment rate in the state at 76%. Hyde County Schools has the highest credential attainment rate of 82%.
More than 325,000 credentials were earned statewide in 2022-23, reflecting the highest attainment rate in the 13 years the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and the Office of Career and Technical Education have collected data.
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said the credentials are valuable because they indicate a student’s mastery of in-demand skills that do not require a degree to gain employment.
“The process of earning industry-recognized credentials gives students an advantage in a competitive labor market and real-world experience. For potential employers, a credential is a sign that a student has both the knowledge and durable skills they need to succeed in the workplace.”
More than half of the top 10 N.C. Workforce Credentials earned in 2022-23 by students are related to computer software, according to the report.
The types of software range from Autodesk for architecture and construction to Adobe for graphic design and photo editing, which shows a trend that underscores the importance of computer science in preparing students for jobs in a variety of industries.
According to the N.C. Department of Commerce and its long-term employment projections, computer and mathematical occupations are projected to grow the fastest among all jobs by 2030.