By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó A state commission charged with finding ways to give high school students real-world job experience while providing local industry with a trained workforce will meet Friday at the N.C. Research Campus.
The Joining Our Businesses and Schools, or JOBS, Commission will hold a public meeting from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Core Laboratory in Kannapolis. N.C. Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton chairs the commission and will host the meeting.
The N.C. General Assembly created the JOBS commission to strengthen ties between public education and business.
The group wants input and will take comments from the audience.
Since each part of the state has unique workforce requirements, the commission will meet in seven different cities and wants local feedback. The group will develop pilot education programs to ensure that North Carolina students can take courses that will benefit them, as well as industry.
The JOBS Commission is studying the establishment of early college high schools that are integrated to the needs of the local economy.
Anyone interested in attending the meeting to hear more or offer ideas to the lieutenant governor should call Jamie Almond at 919-733-7350.
The commission will meet for three years and plans to suggest several new or converted early college high schools, each with an industry-sector theme.