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SB 991

Community College Workforce Readiness Act.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Gale Adcock and 13 co-sponsors

Expands IDD-focused credentials and workforce training, creates expedited teaching pathways, and funds a unified digital credential system for NC community colleges.

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Bill Summary · SB 991

Summary of SB 991 (Session 2025) – Community College Workforce Readiness Act (North Carolina)

Purpose

SB 991 aims to expand workforce readiness initiatives at North Carolina community colleges. The bill authorizes targeted funding and programmatic changes to improve employability and credential opportunities for specific populations (notably individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, IDD), strengthens teacher pipeline pathways, expands digital credentials, and outlines implementation timelines and oversight.

Key Provisions and Changes

Part I – NCCCS IDD Workforce Training Expansion

  • The State Board of Community Colleges shall establish a training program for up to 15 to 25 community colleges focused on micro-credentials or other credentials that enhance employment outcomes for individuals with IDD.
  • Program goals include:
    • Best practices for vocational training for IDD students.
    • Financial and benefits counseling.
    • Integration of assistive technology.
    • Increased access to credential and degree programs, including micro-credentials.
    • Strategies to better orient and integrate IDD individuals into the college community.
    • Needs assessment, marketing, and evaluation to serve a broad range of disabilities.
  • Funding allocations (recurring):
    • $640,000 to create two positions to facilitate work-based learning and engage with business/industry, plus expansion of Career and College Promise pathways and pre-apprenticeships for IDD.
    • $810,000 for marketing evaluation, online resources, professional development, and infrastructure support.
    • Remaining funds to expand the IDD-focused program developed under amended statute.
  • Ongoing funding: The Community Colleges System Office shall continue to provide $194,000 per participating college.
  • General Fund appropriation: $3,850,000 recurring starting in FY 2026-2027 to implement these provisions.

Part II – Expedited Teacher Pipeline Pathway Study

  • By March 15, 2027, ApprenticeshipNC must report a plan to facilitate expedited pathways for apprenticeship candidates entering the teaching profession.
  • Plan development to involve collaboration with UNC Board of Governors, the State Board of Community Colleges, the Department of Public Instruction, Teach NC, and other educational partners.
  • The plan must include: 1) Accelerated pathways allowing high school students to earn college credits toward teaching licenses with structured, paid, or experiential learning. 2) Maximized use and transferability of specific coursework, including: Career and College Promise transfers to educator prep programs, associate degrees in teaching-related fields, UNC online bachelor’s programs, and enrollment options that combine work in public schools with study. 3) Legislative or appropriation changes needed to implement the plan.

Part III – Digital Wallet Expansion

  • Nonrecurring funds of $4,913,100 in FY 2026-2027 to expand access to digital credentials across all community colleges.
  • Funds to be used to select a single Credential Management System (CrMS) vendor and cover deployment and supporting digital infrastructure.
  • CrMS requirements:
    • Issue, manage, and verify digital credentials across standards (W3C Verifiable Credentials, OpenBadges, AnonCreds).
    • Secure, authenticated peer-to-peer communications.
    • Compliance with NIST IAL 3 identity proofing.
    • Decentralized deployment within the State’s controlled cloud (not a SaaS model) to ensure data sovereignty and cost control.
    • Noncustodial mobile digital wallet for individuals to control credentials.
    • Configurable workflows extending agency processes to holders.
    • AI-driven workforce matching capabilities.
    • Blockchain-based trust/verification for publishing tamper-resistant public keys and endpoints, without storing PII or credential data on-chain.

Effective Date

  • General effective date: July 1, 2026 (unless otherwise specified).

Potential Impact

  • Expanded opportunities for individuals with IDD to access meaningful credentials, on-the-job training, and employment pathways.
  • A formal, accelerated pathway to teaching careers, potentially increasing teacher pipelines.
  • Broad adoption of digital credentials with a unified CrMS, enhancing portability, security, and workforce alignment across NC community colleges.
  • Increased state investment in workforce readiness, adult education, and postsecondary-aligned programs.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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