Author: Shameika Rhymes

09 Sep UpSkill Charlotte: How Small Contracting Businesses Can Secure Funding for Employee Training

Posted at 11:17h in Employers by Shameika Rhymes

Charlotte Works is currently accepting applications for two special UpSkill Charlotte employee training grants. Both programs are designed for small contracting businesses with 250 or fewer employees to increase their capacity to compete for upcoming City and County contracts by providing short-term training and industry-recognized certifications for...

19 Aug AI and Entry-Level Hiring: What New Job Data Reveals

Posted at 11:51h in Community Partners, Data, Job-Seeker, News by Shameika Rhymes

As artificial intelligence reshapes entry-level hiring across the region (and how local workforce boards write blog posts), community partners play a vital role in helping local job seekers adapt, upskill, and remain competitive. Trust between these partners and residents is the essential element to build...

18 Aug Breaking Down Silos: A New Way to Connect Job Seekers & Employers

Posted at 14:05h in Community Partners, Employers, Job-Seeker, News by Shameika Rhymes

Your team works hard to get candidates job-ready, but navigating Charlotte’s complex network of employer programs, funding streams, and support services shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Outdated resource lists and endless web links often lead to warm leads going cold. That is exactly what CELC...

04 Aug Driving Regional Progress: Highlights from CELC Innovation Day

Posted at 09:32h in Community Partners, Employers, News by Shameika Rhymes

Driving Regional Progress: Highlights from CELC Innovation Day If you run a business in Charlotte, you already know the drill: hiring is tough, retaining talent is even harder, finding the right funding or support programs feels like solving a puzzle, and navigating local government and non-profit resources usually...

15 Jul Bridging the Gap to Economic Opportunity: Charlotte Works and NCWorks Connects Talent and Employers

Posted at 14:25h in Employers, Job-Seeker, Jobs, News by Shameika Rhymes

At our NCWorks Career Center, the focus is always on direct, meaningful connection bridging the gap between talented local job seekers and the employers who need them. We recently hosted a customized hiring event in partnership with Family Services of America, designed to match local residents...

15 Jul Modernizing the Manufacturing Workforce: What Employers Need to Know About Evolving Skill Gaps

Posted at 12:44h in Career-Seeker, Data, Employers, News by Shameika Rhymes

North Carolina manufacturing has changed sharply over the past three decades. Textile mills, apparel plants, and furniture factories once accounted for more than 40 percent of the state’s manufacturing jobs. By 2022, those industries employed 13.6 percent of manufacturing workers. Between 1993 and 2022, employment in...

14 Jul Kicking Off PY26: Stronger Together for a New Program Year!

Posted at 14:34h in News by Shameika Rhymes

There is nothing quite like getting everyone into the same room to spark inspiration, and that is exactly what happened at our all-teams meeting earlier this month. As we officially launch the new program year (PY26), our teams and partners gathered to align our vision,...

17 Jun Celebrating NextGen’s Class of 2026: In-School Youth Students Recognized at End-of-Year Event

Posted at 15:54h in News, NextGen, Youth by Shameika Rhymes

When students join the NextGen In-School Youth (ISY) program, they expect career guidance, resume support, and workplace preparation. What many discover is a network of mentors and peers that stays with them long after graduation. Charlotte Works hosted the annual End-of-Year Student Acknowledgement Event on June...

16 Jun Why Teen Work Experience Matters in a Shifting Summer Job Market

Posted at 14:56h in Uncategorized by Shameika Rhymes

The latest national numbers on teen hiring tell a story of a complex dynamic labor market for youth workforce. Challenger, Gray & Christmas projected that employers would add 790,000 jobs for teens ages 16 to 19 in May, June, and July 2026, down from 801,000 last summer....

15 Jun Charlotte Works Celebrates Over 30 CMS Graduates from NextGen Program

Posted at 15:56h in News, NextGen, Uncategorized by Shameika Rhymes

Charlotte Works is proud to celebrate more than 30 graduating seniors from Garinger High School, Harding University High School, West Charlotte High School, and Julius L. Chambers High School who participated in the NCWorks NextGen In-School Youth Program powered by Charlotte Works. Over the past several...