LCPS celebrates student career readiness with two workforce signing events
Lenoir County Public Schools is redefining how students transition from the classroom to the workplace. This spring, the district celebrated two milestone events that recognized students stepping into paid, career-focused roles with local business partners — not after graduation, but while still in high school.
The first-ever Workforce Ignite Lenoir signing day marked a new chapter in LCPS’s work-based learning efforts. The event honored students who secured internships and other paid work opportunities with area employers, including Kinston Public Services, the Down East Bird Dawgs, and other vital regional partners. These students earned their place through a competitive process that tested their professionalism, drive, and readiness to enter the workforce.
“We are very excited to host our very first CTE work-based learning signing day for our students who are entering internships and apprenticeship programs,” said Dr. Amy Jones, LCPS Director of Career and Technical Education and High School Education. “Our Career Development Coordinators have been involved in every step of the process, supporting students with resume assistance, practicing interview skills, and strengthening student employability skills.”
This year’s event reflects how quickly the district’s work-based learning program is expanding. According to Dr. Jones, participation tripled compared to previous years, a sign of strong student interest and deepening support from local employers.
The second signing day, hosted at Crown Equipment Corporation, celebrated five students who have completed the district’s long-standing youth apprenticeship program in partnership with Crown and Lenoir Community College. Two were December graduates and had already been working full-time, but for the Class of 2025 apprentices, the event served as an official turning point — signaling their transition from students to full-time employees at Crown.
“These students have demonstrated exemplary employability skills, gained work-embedded training, earned college and high school credit, and earned a wage for their work,” Dr. Jones said. “Crown has been a strong partner of ours for several years, and the growth of this program has been incredible.”
The Crown apprenticeship program began in 2019 as a forward-thinking initiative to develop local talent and strengthen the community’s industrial workforce. Since then, 18 LCPS students have completed the program, and many of them have gone on to join Crown as full-time employees. And it’s only growing. Next year, seven students are signed on to complete the program.
“This is our sixth year, and it’s become something we really look forward to,” said Rose Mary Jones, Human Resources Manager at Crown. “What started as a conversation about building Crown’s future workforce has grown into a program that genuinely impacts students’ lives. It’s about opportunity, growth, and building confidence in a real-world setting.”
Mentors at Crown, who work closely with student apprentices, also shared how impressed they’ve been with the students’ eagerness to learn and ability to adapt to a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Many highlighted the growth they’ve seen in their mentees, noting their quick learning, professionalism, and strong work ethic.
For these students, combining classroom learning with paid, real-world experience has opened doors to lasting careers before they crossed the graduation stage. For LCPS, these programs represent more than partnerships. They’re a powerful investment in the future of the community.
2025 Crown Apprentices:
Cody Andres
Gage Dawson
Wriston Honeycutt
Hunter Langley
Cole Sanderson
2025 Workforce Ignite Lenoir Business Partners:
Southeastern Education and Economic Development (SEED)
Kinston Public Services
Fleet Readiness Center East
Lenoir Community College
Down East Bird Dawgs
Crown Equipment Corporation
CSS Neuse Museum
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