Nearly 5,000 high school students in Northern Kentucky completed dual- credit courses during the 2023-24 academic year. This was a 14.4% increase over the previous academic year. Specifically, 4,950 students completed courses at Gateway Community and Technical College, Northern Kentucky University, and Thomas More University.
Increasing dual-credit attainment is a goal of the Career Readiness Focus Area of NKY Works, a collaborative workforce-development initiative. Enrollment has increased steadily over the past four academic years, as seen below:
“Our team is extremely pleased with the growth of students enrolling in dual credit coursework,” said Brian Robinson, Ft. Thomas Independent School District superintendent and chair of the Career Readiness Focus Area of NKY Works. “Earning college credit while in high school provides a jumpstart for students enrolling in post-secondary programs and correlates with on-time completion of future degrees. We are thankful for the school districts that have increased the rigor expected for Northern Kentucky high school students and our post-secondary partners who have supported this initiative.”
In addition to focusing on dual-credit attainment, the goals of the Career Readiness Focus Area are to increase work-based learning opportunities for K-12 students, and to facilitate career assessment, primarily through a platform called YouScience.
Career Readiness is one of five focus areas for NKY Works. The other priority areas are early childhood education, work-ready adults, talent attraction and retention, and employer policies and procedures.
NKY Works is a collective impact initiative that provides one-stop support to businesses, enabling them to cultivate a workforce that is enthusiastic, prepared, and capable of filling and retaining quality jobs across all sectors of Northern Kentucky’s economy. NKY Works is housed at the Northern Kentucky Area Development District. For more information or to get involved, contact NKYWorks@NKADD.org or visit NKYWorks.org.
Northern Kentucky Area Development District