WakeEd Partnership and Wake County Public Schools “Career Accelerator” Summer Program Kicks Off Monday
RALEIGH, N.C. — Career Accelerator, WakeEd Partnership’s new summer program developed in partnership with Wake County Public Schools, kicks off on Monday, July 18th. About 400 rising 10th – 12th graders will participate in this two-week, full-day program that will offer real-world workplace learning experiences and connect students with employers to explore career pathways and opportunities. The goal is to help students better know themselves and how their current high school trajectory can foster career and college readiness.
Students from across Wake County will convene each day at Apex, Cary, East Wake, Enloe, Fuquay Varina, and Panther Creek High Schools. On Tuesdays and Thursdays each week the students will travel to companies and organizations across the Triangle that are offering immersions in their workplaces. In addition to immersion experiences, students will receive coaching and instruction in other workforce development areas, such as CV building, social media use, and interviewing skills. On Friday, July 29th from 9 to Noon there will be a final Industry Networking Event at Enloe High School.
“The business community has really stepped up to provide these amazing workplace immersions for our students,” said Keith Poston, President, WakeEd Partnership. “Career Accelerator will allow students to see first-hand what kinds of jobs and careers are available and most importantly the path to get there.”
The final Industry Networking Event at Enloe High School is for all Career Accelerator students and the companies that participated. The event will also feature keynote remarks from author and entrepreneur Marshall Brain, best known as the founder of HowStuffWorks.com and the author of the How Stuff Works book series. He also hosted the National Geographic channel’s Factory Floor with Marshall Brain and is Director of the Engineering Entrepreneurs Program at NC State.
“One of the goals of Career Accelerator is also to show our existing employers, as well as those that are moving here for the best business climate in the country, that their future workforce is here and graduating from Wake County Public Schools,” added Poston.
The following companies and organizations are participating over the next two weeks:
- Alfred Williams
- Amazon
- Ashley Christensen Group
- Bobbitt
- BSA Life Structures
- Chick Fil A of Wake Forest
- Clark Nexsen
- Delta Airlines
- Duke Energy
- Evoke
- The Friday Institute
- Gabi’s Grounds
- Gensler
- H.H. Architecture
- IAT Insurance
- J.M. Thompson
- John Deere
- Kasper Architects
- Marbles Kids Museum
- Martin Marietta
- McKim & Creed
- Monteith
- NC Department of Public Instruction
- NC Department of Transportation
- NC Department of Transportation: Aviation
- SAMET Corp
- Stewart Inc.
- TA Loving
- Tammy Lynn Center
- Touchstone 3D
- TowneBank
- Triangle Esports Academy
- UNC-Rex Hospital
- U.S. Armed Services
- Wake Tech Community College
- Wake County Public School System
- Wolfspeed
MEDIA ADVISORY: Members of the media who wish to attend one of the workplace immersions please contact Keith Poston at WakeEd Partnership at 919-780-5205 or kposton@wakeed.org to coordinate access.
About WakeEd Partnership
WakeEd Partnership is an independent, nonprofit organization composed of business and community leaders committed to improving public education. Since 1983, the Partnership has advocated for excellent educational opportunities for all students in the Wake County Public School System. For more information, please visit www.wakeed.org.
