NC Business Committee for Education

What NC Business Committee for Education does

The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 and operating out of the North Carolina Office of the Governor in Raleigh. NCBCE functions as a statewide convenor connecting North Carolina employers with the state's K-12 education systems through work-based learning programs serving students, educators, and businesses. Its portfolio includes 15+ named programs and platforms, anchored by Students@Work (a 16-year program that has connected 360,000+ middle school students with employers), Teachers@Work, Building Bright Futures (early childhood education apprenticeships), Ready Set App! (a Lenovo-sponsored high school mobile app competition), LiNC-IT (neurodivergent tech employment), Tech Team (student help desk framework with CompTIA A+-aligned curriculum), and the Navigator digital platform.

The Navigator platform, developed with Fidelity Investments, is the technological backbone: a free digital marketplace where employers post work-based learning opportunities (career profiles, guest speakers, internships, pre-apprenticeships) and educators search, request, and track engagements. Complementary technology assets include IT Fundamentals+ and Computers and Engineering I & II curricula aligned to CompTIA A+ certification, plus vertical-specific initiatives (Careers Electric, EVeryone Charging Forward, Clean Energy NC, NC Tech Works, NC Career Launch, STEPS4GROWTH, SEED).

NCBCE is funded through a mix of Governor's office sponsorship, state grants (NC Division of Child Development and Early Education), federal grants (HHS Administration for Children and Families Grant 90TP0133-01-00 for Building Bright Futures), and corporate partnerships (Lenovo, Fidelity Investments, Caterpillar, Red Hat, Biogen, SECU). All programs are offered at no cost to participants. With 19 employees and statewide program delivery through direct school district and employer partnerships, NCBCE operates as an action-oriented state-chartered intermediary rather than a commercial product company, monetizing through grants and sponsorship rather than fees.

Name

NC Business Committee for Education

Legal name

North Carolina Business Committee for Education

Website

https://ncbce.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NCBCE is a 1983-founded North Carolina non-profit, sponsored by the Governor's office, that operates a portfolio of work-based learning programs and the Navigator digital platform to connect NC employers with K-12 schools, educators, and students across the state at no cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAALAE

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDAGAKAC

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Design & Content Development Services

Keywords

• Work-based learning
• Career exploration programs
• Education workforce development
• Talent pipeline programs
• Apprenticeship coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh, North Carolina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: NCBCE operates as a non-profit organization. Building Bright Futures is funded by a grant from the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) and supported by Grant Number 90TP0133-01-00 from the Office of Early Childhood Development within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The organization is sponsored by the Governor's office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NCBCE is a non-profit organization that connects North Carolina employers with the state's K-12 and higher education systems through a portfolio of work-based learning programs, digital platforms, and educational curricula. It facilitates career awareness, career exploration, and career experiences for students; professional development for educators; and talent pipeline engagement for businesses across the state of North Carolina.

Product overview

NCBCE is a non-profit organization operating out of the North Carolina Office of the Governor that serves as a work-based learning coordination hub connecting employers with education systems. Rather than a single software product, NCBCE offers a portfolio of interconnected programs, platforms, and educational curricula. The core platform is The Navigator, a free digital marketplace where employers post work-based learning opportunities and educators manage engagements. Surrounding this platform are direct programs including Students@Work (career awareness for middle schoolers), Teachers@Work (educator workplace experiences), Ready Set App! (high school mobile app competition), LiNC-IT (neurodivergent professional training), and Building Bright Futures (early childhood education apprenticeships). NCBCE also provides comprehensive IT curriculum including IT Fundamentals+, Computers and Engineering I & II courses aligned to CompTIA A+ certification, along with industry-specific initiatives like Careers Electric, Clean Energy NC, NC Tech Works, and NC Career Launch. The Tech Team/NC Student Connect program specifically equips schools with frameworks for student technology support desks, while the Governor's Educator Discovery Award enables teachers to explore industries firsthand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Navigator

Quantifiable outcome

• 360,000+ NC middle school students connected with real-world work experiences over 16 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• LenovoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLenovo serves as the title sponsor for the Ready, Set, App! challenge, a mobile app development competition for high school students. This partnership enables NCBCE to offer an annual competition where student groups develop mobile apps to solve problems in their school or community.
• Fidelity InvestmentsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFidelity Investments developed the Navigator platform, a free digital tool connecting employers with educators for work-based learning engagement. The platform was created through a generous partnership with Fidelity Investments and is supported through funding from NCBCE and the state of North Carolina.
• CaterpillarminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCaterpillar is listed as a member company supporting NCBCE's work-based learning mission.
• Red HatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRed Hat is listed as a member company supporting NCBCE's work-based learning mission.
• BiogenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBiogen is listed as a member company supporting NCBCE's work-based learning mission.
• Clean Energy NCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Energy NC is listed as a partner under the For Businesses section, connecting businesses with NCBCE's workforce development initiatives.
• NC DHHScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNC Department of Health and Human Services partners on Building Bright Futures, supporting early childhood education and care initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SkillsUSA: SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit serving middle school, high school, and college students in career and technical education, including a student technology support desk framework that mirrors NCBCE's Tech Team / NC Student Connect program.
• NAF (formerly National Academy Foundation): NAF operates career academies and work-based learning programs connecting high school students with industry employers. Like NCBCE, it is a national convener linking education and business for career readiness, though it focuses on academy model rather than statewide convening.
• National Center for College and Career Transitions (NC3T): NC3T provides systems, tools, and consulting to help schools and regions build college and career transition systems. Its work-based learning framework and college/career pathway focus is highly comparable to NCBCE's Navigator and Students@Work programs.
• Tennessee Business Roundtable: The Tennessee Business Roundtable is a state-level business coalition advocating for education and workforce policy reform. It is the closest geographic and structural analog to NCBCE, performing a similar business-education convening role but in Tennessee rather than North Carolina.
• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement delivers workforce readiness, career exploration, and financial literacy programming through K-12 classrooms, similar to NCBCE's Students@Work and Teachers@Work but as a national organization rather than state-sponsored entity.
• Pathways to Prosperity Network: Pathways to Prosperity is a national network focused on college and career pathway systems connecting K-12 education to regional labor markets. Its intermediary role between schools and employers parallels NCBCE's statewide convening function in North Carolina.

Emerging players

• Nepris: Nepris is a cloud platform connecting classrooms with industry professionals for virtual work-based learning experiences. As a direct technology analog to NCBCE's Navigator, it competes for the same teacher-employer engagement layer at a national level.
• Year Up: Year Up provides workforce training and corporate internships for young adults from underserved communities, including tech-focused pathways. Its employer-mediated talent pipeline approach overlaps with NCBCE's apprenticeship and LiNC-IT programs targeting young adults.

Broad incumbents

• Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF is a national nonprofit driving workforce development and equitable economic advancement, including apprenticeship and work-based learning initiatives. It is comparable to NCBCE in mission and programmatic approach, but operates nationally with broader workforce policy focus.

Regional players

• ApprenticeshipNC (NC Community College System): ApprenticeshipNC operates registered apprenticeship programs across North Carolina through the NC Community College System. It is a direct peer for NCBCE's Building Bright Futures and apprenticeship initiatives, operating in the same state and segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ncbce
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqPhmsvyYxKaTmJqHLakXbw
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCBCE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncbce
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncbce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NC Business Committee for Education