2015 Conference on Education to Focus on Building & Sustaining Strong Education Development Systems

RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina Chamber, a nonpartisan business advocacy organization, will host its 7^th annual Conference on Education on Thursday, Aug. 13 from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center in Durham, N.C. Today’s employers are ever more aware of the need for effective education systems at all levels to ensure students are prepared for the 21^st century global marketplace. This conference will engage business leaders and educators in a discussion of the role they can play in ensuring the state’s students are well-prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.

Topics and speakers include:

• Update from Governor McCrory
• Transforming Schools Through Practical Applications
  • Brett Peterson, director, The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High
• Digital Learning Initiative
  • Jeni Corn, director of evaluation programs, Friday Institute for Education Innovation
• Blended Learning and Career Development
  • Raj Ramachandran, VP of Channel Partnerships, Apollo Education Group
• Education and Economic Competitiveness – Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow
  • Terry Holliday, Ph. D., Commissioner of Education, Commonwealth of Kentucky
• Hire Standards Coalition Update
  • Andrew Meehan, coalition manager, Hire Standards, NC
• School Leadership
  • Steve Lassiter, Pitt County Schools, N.C. Principal of the Year
• The Best Talent Development Program You Know Nothing About: NCWorks Certified Work Ready Communities
  • Jo Anne Honeycutt, director, Career and Technical Education, N.C. Department of Public Instruction
• Business and Education Town Hall Discussion
• Bonus Preliminary Session (7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.): K-12 Reimagined: If we were designing our K-12 system today, what would it look like?

“To secure North Carolina’s future, we must focus on solid education platforms and human workforce development systems that are effective, agile, accountable and continually produce a competitive, world-class workforce,” said Lew Ebert, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber. “This conference is an integral piece of that conversation as we bring together leaders in education and business to discuss how we can work together to prepare today’s students for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Education and talent supply are a key pillar in the North Carolina Chamber Foundation’s North Carolina Vision 2030 – A Plan for Accelerating Job Growth & Securing North Carolina’s Future. As the first priority outlined in North Carolina Vision 2030, the NC Chamber’s goal is to develop and maintain strong education and workforce development systems. Factors that will accomplish this include effective, innovative public schools, a strong community college system and a world-class university system.

Visit http://bit.ly/1GwC9JK to register or for more information on the 2015 Conference on Education.