Workforce Education and Training
We are serious about training the best workers
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s essential to have workers with the skills, tools, and knowledge necessary to stay competitive. We are building and supporting training programs, college certificates, and the school-to-career pipeline to make sure our employees can hire local employees.
Workforce Preparation
Chowan County is positioned as a premier destination for workforce development and long-term business growth. The Edenton Chowan Partnership teams with the local public schools and College of The Albemarle to offer workforce development training in skilled trades and high-demand jobs. Our connections can help you build the workforce that you need to move your business forward now and in the future.
Colleges and universities
Chowan County is located within driving distance to colleges and universities within the University of North Carolina University System as well as premier private institutions. We also boast a satellite campus with College of The Albemarle, part of the renown North Carolina Community College System. Access to world-class training and education opportunities couldn't be easier.
workforce data
In Chowan County, our workforce can work for you. From agribusiness to manufacturing we have the people you need to prosper.
Workforce Preparation
The Edenton Chowan Partnership Education Project acknowledges that a high quality educational system, pre-kindergarten to post-secondary, is vital in building and sustaining a strong community and local economy. The Partnership’s Education Project serves as a catalyst for working together, across sectors and along the educational continuum, to produce better educational results in Chowan County.
The Public School System
The Edenton-Chowan Public School System has two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The school system is small and capable of providing individualized instruction centering focused on each child's education needs while providing a global perspective through rigorous and diverse programs that aren't available in all small school systems.
Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum prepares students for a wide range of careers focusing on workplace readiness skills including technical and soft skills like problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, as well as further educational opportunities. These career pathways may require varying levels of education and training, including industry recognized credentials (WorkKeys), post secondary certificates, two and four-year college degrees. CTE curriculum is offered at both the middle school and high school levels.
Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment - The dual enrollment program offered at the high school allows students to take college-level courses through College of The Albemarle and earn college credit up to an associates degree while attending high school.
College of The Albemarle
College of the Albemarle-Chowan County Campus
College of The Albemarle (COA) main campus is located in Elizabeth City with a satellite campus in Chowan County. COA – Edenton-Chowan offers a variety of associate degree and college transfer programs, as well as certificate and diploma programs. Some popular programs offered at COA – Edenton-Chowan include HVAC, culinary arts, nurse aide, truck driver training (CDL), Career Readiness Certification, and employability skills training.
COA can help your business provide successful workforce solutions to help you attract and retain a qualified workforce. Whether is it state-of-the-art customized training to meet an employer’s specific needs, pre-employment screening and assessments, safety-training and more, you will have the resources you need to have a productive workforce.
Business Training
If you are looking to start a new business, COA – Edenton-Chowan and the Edenton-Chowan Partnership work together to offer workshops and seminars provided by the COA Small Business Center, the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce, and Destination Downtown. These workshops and seminars cover various topics, such as business planning, marketing, and financial management.
Career Readiness Certification
Career Readiness Certification – Offered through COA, WorkKeys is a program administered by ACT – an internationally recognized educational assessment and testing organization. WorkKeys helps identify aptitude and build on it. The program can help your business find and keep the right people in the right roles. It can help you pinpoint the skills of current employees to maximize their potential and value. The program helps employers and employees benefit each other by lowering the risk of job loss for employees and helping employers develop employees’ skills. The WorkKeys assessment system measures real-world skills, and is the basis for the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). The NCRC is awarded based on assessment scores in foundational workplace skills such applied mathematics, reading for information and locating information. Many companies have implemented WorkKeys programs to improve their ability to match people with jobs, to help motivate employees and help increase productivity.
"The Edenton-Chowan Partnership has been successful in improving educational opportunities and economic development in the region. The partnership has helped to create jobs, attract new businesses, and improve the quality of life in Chowan County. The Partnership is committed to College of The Albemarle’s efforts in Chowan County, ensuring the community has exceptional post-secondary education and workforce development opportunities. We are appreciative of the collaborative relationship with the Edenton-Chowan Partnership."
Colleges and Universities Located in Northeastern NC
Elizabeth City State University
Located in Elizabeth City. ECSU offers a wide range of degree programs and certificates that empower new, professional opportunities, and personal growth. Their signature areas of study include the humanities, education, and aviation. Every academic program at ECSU uses advanced technologies and hands-on learning to provide a valuable, high-quality education at an affordable cost.
East Carolina University
Located in Greenville, ECU is the premier research institution in North Carolina. A Doctoral II research-intensive university and an important regional economic development partner, it is a center for education and medicine for communities throughout the Region and contributes to the culture of the Region through its popular performing arts series, a successful intercollegiate athletics program, and numerous educational and recreational events. The Brody School of Medicine, and the College of Arts and Sciences provide intensive learning experiences using the latest instructional techniques and technology.
Chowan University
Located in Murfreesboro, it is a small, private university of about 1,200 students. The mission of Chowan is to provide their students the ability to excel in the 21st-century workforce while instilling in them with Christian values. Recently the school opened its School of Graduate Studies, allowing students to pursue a master’s degree at this respected institution.
Barton College
Located in Wilson, this is a private 4-year liberal arts institutional and academic community of approximately 1,300 students and 200 faculty and staff. Nationally recognized for its programs in education, deaf education, nursing and social work and its championship men’s athletic teams.
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Located in Elizabeth City, MACU is a private university that seeks to impact the world by transforming ordinary people into extraordinary Christian leaders. The academic program is organized into two schools – the School of Undergraduate Studies and the School of Professional Studies.
North Carolina Wesleyan College
North Carolina Wesleyan College enrolls about 2,200 students; 900 students in its traditional degree programs at its Rocky Mount campus in Nash County and another 1,300 students in the evening college programs.
Workforce Data
Click the button below to download the Chowan County Workforce Data Profile