Education Matters is a partnership between business, government, and education working together to increase the value of education and educational attainment in Catawba County. Through the commitment of each partner, students in Catawba County Schools, Hickory Public Schools, and Newton Conover City Schools plan for their future through an awareness of career opportunities in Catawba County with the knowledge of educational expectations and training needed to successfully gain employment. This effort is building the pipeline of educated workers that area businesses need.

Innovation or Best Practice

Noteworthy features of Education Matters include the following:

• Broad partnership: business, education (high school & community college) and government
• Commitments by all partners, required for participation
• CVCC’s commitment to business to guarantee that CVCC graduates are fully prepared to work in their field of study and willingness to retrain any employee at no cost if they are not prepared sufficiently for the job.
• Universal participation by 8th graders through 12th graders in related initiatives, from the EXTREME STEM Tour to the Career Prep Conference.
• Students graduate from high school with a nationally recognized Career Readiness Certification and a Career & College Ready Portfolio, in addition to their high school diploma
• Large scale of initiative, including more than 160 committed businesses and over 5,000 8th graders and educators introduced to STEM careers through EXTREME STEM Tours