Where do you want it to be five or ten years from now? How do you want it to look? Who is at the table with you?
At our Annual Meeting last month, The Chamber announced its new strategic plan, including our new mission and vision statements and four goal pillars.
Our North Star, our vision statement, is “A Chamber that catalyzes a growing, diverse business community to create economic opportunity for all.” There’s a lot to unpack there. Previously, I wrote about the incredible growth and opportunities we have in Cabarrus County with much more coming, but how do we ensure that this rising tide does indeed lifts all boats?
By now, I’m sure most of you have heard about or read Harvard Professor Raj Chetty’s study in 2014 on upward mobility that cited Charlotte as last of 50 large cities for upward economic mobility. It found that children who grew up in Charlotte’s low-income households had a poor chance of escaping poverty. Friends, that doesn’t stop at the Charlotte city limits. That includes Cabarrus County: we are part of that region. We need to make sure that as we grow – we all grow, regardless of income, gender, race or zip code.
We know that education and soft or life skills are the first steps to employability and success. The Chamber is dedicated to working with our educational partners from child development centers to kindergarten to post-secondary education to help connect students of all ages to the careers available in Cabarrus County. We need to stop telling our students to choose “college or career” and instead say “career ready,” because Cabarrus County Schools and Kannapolis City Schools are graduating students who ARE career ready! Some are poised to start careers the Monday after graduation, while others will finish credentials, certifications, apprenticeships and other studies locally with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and others will go on to four-year colleges and beyond at places like Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and UNC Charlotte.
Did you know that we currently have 4,000 students in Cabarrus County enrolled in STEM-related curricula? Because of our commitment to these vital school programs, we owe our students to develop the jobs they’ll fill through their academic advancements and achievements. We have a prepared workforce for tomorrow’s jobs today.
We also need to address succession planning and adult learning in the workforce. Making sure our current workforce is trained in the skills they need to continually succeed and take on newer challenges as the market creates them, helping them to continue earning higher, family-sustaining wages as their skills develop further.
We recognize that affordable and available childcare, affordable housing, affordable and available transportation are all challenges we need to convene, connect and champion together to ensure we are all successful. Many in our community are already working on these needs – how does The Chamber help them in their endeavors?
And we can’t do it alone. We are excited to work with you to continue to strengthen and sustain an equitable business community for all Cabarrus County citizens. Join us at the table!
