NC: The Fourth Annual Careers on Wheels Rolls into The Iredell County Fairgrounds

Careers on Wheels rolled into the Iredell County Fairgrounds in Troutman on October 24 for one of the biggest and most unique career exploration events of its kind.  2,000 sixth graders from Iredell-Statesville Schools and Mooresville Graded School District interacted with more than 70 businesses and industries to help expose them to career opportunities in Iredell County and the Charlotte Region.

Careers on Wheels, a cornerstone event of Iredell Ready, a workforce initiative created to cultivate career exploration, promote lifelong learning opportunities, and close the skills gap for Iredell County employers is hosted by Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mooresville Graded School District, Mitchell Community College, the Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce, and Iredell Economic Development Corporation.  The event exemplifies the Iredell Ready priorities:

• Prepare the Pipeline
• Strengthen Industry & Education Partnerships
• Create Relevant Learning Opportunities 

Each business and industry are charged with providing small groups of students with an age-appropriate activity or demonstration to help students understand the business and the types of career opportunities available to them.

These 2,000 inquisitive sixth graders who roll into the Careers on Wheels event are ready to explore their career options and start the conversation about their individual skills and interests. These conversations along with a variety of other touch points at the different grade milestones help students prepare for high school class selections. The sixth graders who rolled through the inaugural Careers on Wheels are now ninth graders in high school enrolling in classes that ideally will lead to a credential or certificate and a successful career pathway - enrollment, employment, enlistment, or entrepreneurship.

Tim Woody, Executive Director of High Schools and Career & Technical Education for Iredell-Statesville Schools, explains, "Career exploration is a key element in our 8 Degrees of "E" and a student's path to graduation and postsecondary success. Events like Careers on Wheels afford the opportunity for our sixth graders to see, touch, and hear about the many career options within Iredell County. The career awareness we offer prepares our students to declare their "E" as they register for 11th grade. Simply put, they will be Employed, Enrolled, Enlisted, or be an Entrepreneur after graduation. Once we know this, we can be a value-add for them in their last two years in high school; so, they are value-positioned upon graduation."

Additionally, Careers on Wheels effectively demonstrates an intense commitment of Iredell County education institutions, county government, and business and industry to collaborate to promote and develop lifelong learning opportunities for the betterment of residents, enhance social mobility within our economy, and assist citizens in obtaining gainful employment within Iredell County.

"The Career on Wheels event for 6th-grade students aligns perfectly with the MGSD strategic plan and Career Development Continuum,” shares Kevin Wilson, Career and Technical Education Administrator, Mooresville Graded School District, “Our partnership with Iredell Ready and Iredell-Statesville Schools connects local students, our future workforce, and the businesses and industries that serve our community.  Our students and staff look forward to this event and are excited to participate!"