North Carolina Student Success Center Charts New Path in Workforce Innovation

A strategic collaboration between North Carolina Community Colleges, Jobs for the Future, and Ascendium Education Group is positioning NC as a nationwide leader in disruption leadership and AI-ready skills. 

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Community College System’s Student Success Center (NCSSC) is positioning the state at the forefront of preparing students for the future of work. In partnership with Jobs for the Future (JFF) and supported through an Ascendium Education Group grant, the NCSSC convened two landmark convenings this fall to accelerate innovation and AI readiness across the state’s 58 community colleges. 

More than 50 colleges came together at the convenings—hosted at Carteret Community College and Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute —with a unified purpose: to design the skills of the future into every learner’s experience. The convenings were structured to maximize participation and impact for ongoing statewide collaboration and ensuring that every institution has a stake in shaping North Carolina’s AI-ready workforce strategy.  

“We must prepare students for disruption by cultivating agile, creative thinkers who can adapt, problem-solve, and innovate in real time,” said Dr. Andrea Crowley, Executive Director of the North Carolina Student Success Center. “It’s time to ‘flip the T-shaped practitioner’—redefining the horizontal bar of the T as a strong interdisciplinary foundation where agility, collaboration, and critical thinking are embedded. These skills are not optional add-ons but critical competencies that will define the workforce of the future.” 

An Innovation Playbook for the Future of Work 

At the heart of the convenings was the unveiling of the North Carolina Community College System’s AI Guidance Handbook, facilitated by lead author, Dr. Lane Freeman, State Director of Online Learning, in collaboration with 10 Community College Academic Leaders and subject matter experts from the NCSSC and JFF. More than a reference tool, the handbook provides a practical roadmap for responsibly integrating AI into teaching, learning, and operations. 

Key features include: 

• The TrAIT Framework (Transparency in AI and Teaching) to help faculty communicate expectations around AI use.
• The EVERY Framework (Engage, Verify, Explain, Reflect, You-Check) to guide students in responsible application.
• An AI Readiness Checklist enabling colleges to assess policies, curriculum integration, and workforce alignment.
• Curriculum design guidance to ensure AI enhances—not replaces—human creativity, problem-solving, and applied reasoning. 

By focusing on skills of the future—creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability—the handbook aligns AI integration with the broader mission of community colleges: preparing students for high-value, high-demand careers while strengthening workforce pipelines across North Carolina. 

In November, the first edition will be released through JFF to external partners beyond NCCCS, expanding North Carolina’s leadership by making this resource available nationwide. 

“This isn’t about simply delivering a document—it’s about building the structures, training, and ongoing support that ensure colleges can bring this work to life in meaningful and sustainable ways,” Freeman said. 

With more than 600,000 community college students enrolled statewide, North Carolina is among the first states in the nation to adopt a coordinated, systemwide AI strategy backed by national partners. The collaboration with JFF and the investment from Ascendium Education Group ensure that the work is both sustainable and scalable, with the potential to become a model for other states. 

About the NC Student Success Center 

The North Carolina Community College System’s Student Success Center helps colleges implement large-scale, institution-wide change to increase degree and program completion rates. By aligning with system priorities while driving innovation in teaching, learning, and workforce readiness, the NCSSC ensures North Carolina remains a national leader in student success and the future of work.