Dual Generation Workforce Initiative

Interrupting the cycle of poverty. Fueling our workforce.

With our partners, GCS offers free certification courses for parents in high-skill, high-wage careers. The ultimate goal — helping our students thrive. 

Guilford County has higher poverty and food insecurity rates and a lower median family income than most North Carolina counties. With an infusion of pandemic recovery funds, GCS had an opportunity to do something about that. The Dual Generation Workforce Initiative provides our families the chance to break the cycle of low-wage work and brighten the outlook for their children’s future.

Knowing our students means getting to know families and the challenges they face. 

Students are part of a family — being there for them means being there for their parents and guardians. That’s how we support student achievement and the whole child. Close connections help us better understand how to use our unique position as a public school system to help families thrive. We’ve seen great success through the Dual Generation Workforce Initiative. Adults are able to earn more money, work fewer jobs, embark on a career and begin to build the kind of generational wealth that changes the trajectory for their children. 

Join us in this exciting work >>

Breaking through. Building up.

School communities have always pushed up our sleeves and worked together to make things happen for students. As educators, we welcome all children each morning, guide them through each day, and send them into the world more confident and prepared. By helping change the story of poverty for their families, they’ll have a better starting place and be able to set big goals for themselves with the expectation that they can achieve them.

The DGWI story >>

An investment that builds our workforce and fuels our economy. 

And, most importantly, supports our students. As North Carolina emerges as a leader in technology, DGWI graduates are emerging as leaders for their families — and everybody wins.

Let’s keep the momentum going  >>

When funding and partners come together, the solution is right in front of us.

The projected growth of North Carolina technology jobs in the next year is more than 8,000. Meanwhile, the projected impact of a high-skill, high-wage career for GCS families at the poverty level is transformational. When DGWI launched, GCS had hundreds more interested parents than people we could place into the program — along with requests for certifications in nursing, truck driving and more. We’re on to something, and we can’t stop now.

Help us reach more parents with more programs  >>