Local businesses and industry partners joined education and workforce leaders at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center on Tuesday for the Career & Technical Education Business Advisory Council meeting. The collaborative conversation focused on exploring workforce readiness, career pathways and opportunities to connect students with the skills, experiences and careers that will help strengthen our community.

Will Laine, executive director of Secondary Education and director of Career & Technical Education, said OCS ranks sixth in the state for credentials earned last year, with more than 11,500, which is an improvement from the year before when OCS ranked eighth in the state.

"We're very proud of that," Laine said. "We're proud of our teachers and our students for what they've accomplished."

Laurette Leagon, president of the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce, added that Onslow County is fortunate to have career and technical education of this caliber. She said, "You do not see it all over the state, and then to sit here and see the business climate—they support it, they invest in it, because they know it's going to be best for the workforce in Onslow County."

Laine said OCS is always looking to partner, and businesses are encouraged to consider providing work-based learning opportunities for students, whether big or small.

"It makes a big difference for our students that they can experience some of these things before getting a job or pursuing additional educational opportunities," he said.

Click or tap on the logos or button below to learn more about Onslow County Schools, Career & Technical Education Services, the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center or the OCS CTE Business Advisory Council.

2027–28 FAFSA Now Open

The 2027–28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open. Students planning to pursue postsecondary education should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible to be considered for federal, state and institutional grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and loans.

For North Carolina public high school seniors, FAFSA completion is an important next step after exploring NC College Connect, which provides eligible seniors with direct admission to colleges and universities where they already meet admissions requirements without the traditional application process. After reviewing and accepting their college offers, students should consider exploring the FAFSA to learn what financial assistance may be available to help make college more affordable.

Make Sure We Can Reach You

Keeping your contact information up to date helps ensure that your child's school can reach you when it matters most. Especially in an emergency, having current phone numbers and email addresses on file is essential so that you can receive important information and updates without delay.

If your phone number, email address or other contact information has changed, please contact your child's school to make sure your records are updated.

Know someone who isn't receiving OCS email updates or phone calls? Please encourage them to contact their child's school, as well. A quick check of their contact information can help make sure they don't miss important news and information throughout the school year.

The Onslow County Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, at the Eastern North Carolina Regional Skills Center.

A sign-up sheet will be available for those wishing to address the board during the public comment period of the meeting.

Agenda items include 2027-2028 school calendar development and student achievement update.

In accordance with Board Policy: 2335 – Advance Delivery of Meeting Materials, board materials will be available online as soon as possible through the OCS website under Our District>Board of Education>Board Meeting Schedule>Diligent Community.

A livestream of this meeting can be found on the OCS Multimedia YouTube Channel.

Last Week's Results

Thank you to everyone who participated in last week's poll asking, "What's your favorite cooler weather drink to cozy up with?" We actually had a two-way tie, with 38% of the votes going to "Hot chocolate" and 38% to "Coffee or a latte!"

Did you know: There's a reason a warm drink can feel extra comforting on a chilly day! Warm beverages can help you feel cozy from the inside out—which may help explain why "hot chocolate" and "coffee or a latte" tied for the top spot in last week's Your Take!