CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The future looks bright for Mecklenburg County. According to myFutureNC, a local nonprofit, there will be one million job openings in the next five years. 

What You Need To Know

Meckenburg County could see one million additional jobs by 2026

MyFutureNC says N.C. needs 40,000 more workers to meet job demands

MyFutureNC has goal of two million North Carolinians with a high-quality credential by 2030

But the group, which is focused on making higher education more attainable, says the state isn’t producing enough college graduates to meet those future demands. 

MyFutureNC says the state needs more than 40,000 workers with a high-quality degree or credential to meet current demands in the state.

This summer, the organization reached out to hundreds of adults in the state who started at a college or university but did not finish. 

Tamara Fultz-Poche decided to go back to school last year. She’s spent most of her life working in some capacity helping others, including one of her favorite pastimes, fostering kittens. 

She went to the University of Louisville after high school but quickly found out that may not have been the best route for her at the time. 

“Now I don’t have a lot of the stressors I had when I was younger. I’m more financially stable. I’m more focused, more open-minded and willing too, and my priorities are different,” Fultz-Poche said.

She is now in her fourth semester at Fayetteville Technical Community College, where she is majoring in nonprofit management. It’s been 35 years since she first walked on a campus, but she says this time is different. 

“This time it’s an adventure. It’s really an adventure, and it’s an adventure that has potential to change your life,” she said.

MyFutureNC wants to ensure that by 2030, North Carolina has two million people with a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree.