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Discover Durham, chartered by the state general assembly, is Durham’s city and county marketing agency empowered with leading visitor centered economic and cultural development. Cara Rousseau, VP of Marketing, learned of #NCWorks #NextGen through workforce development connections and inquired about forming a partnership with us. Through this partnership, she hoped to provide area young adults an opportunity to learn the fundamentals associated with #tourism #marketing by ass

NCWorks NextGen Durham helps student pursue nursing career.

“I was a 20-year-old eighth grade dropout when a friend introduced me to Ms. Yolanda and the NextGen program! Through their mentorship, training, and development I was able to pass all four tests and obtain my GED! Thank you!” ~Ryan Ryan joined the #NCWorks #NextGen program in June 2019 with the goal of earning his #GED and becoming an #entrepreneur. Ryan, an incredibly smart and ambitious young man, attended GED and real estate classes at the same time. Shortly thereafter

Melissa Simpson, owner of Lashes & Beyond, formed a partnership with the #NCWorks #NextGen program in August 2020 to provide employment and training opportunities to aspiring #cosmetologists. After 25 years of experience with her craft, Melissa wants nothing more than to help the community and give back. Currently, Melissa is mentoring Serae, who recently completed her Natural Hair Specialist Certification at Durham Tech. Serae is already a shop favorite and the other staff

Recent high school graduate, Tyra, and her mom moved from Philadelphia, PA to Durham, NC in April 2019. Their hope was to secure better employment and educational opportunities to improve their lives. Eight months later, Tyra joined the #NCWorks #NextGen program where she expressed an interest in working within an administrative role and with animals. Shortly thereafter, she began working on her pre-employment training and career assessment – which confirmed her areas of in

At the time of enrollment on February 14, 2020, a pregnant Dejah had become homeless and was living in a shelter with her baby boy. She had her mind set on getting housing but needed sustainable employment for that goal. She actively participated in professional development workshops, completed pre-employment training, and was able to get a job with the help of the #NCWorks #NextGen team. Within months, Dejah was provided additional resources for housing (through a partner

Will joined the #NCWorks #NextGen program in February 2020 with the hope of getting a career in the construction industry. Shortly after joining the program, he was displaced from his home in McDougald Terrace. But Will didn’t let the obstacles of temporarily living in a hotel room stop him from achieving his dreams. He faithfully attended a weeklong Career Pathways training, which allowed him to refresh his employment skills. He also attended monthly professional develop

“Kimberly is accountable and a joy to work with. I admire her tenacity to keep going even when life issues cause a delay in progress.” – Ms. Ashley Kimberly entered the #NCWorks #NextGen program in July 2018. After dropping out of high school in 9th grade, Kimberly was determined to get her #GED. She attended Durham Literacy Center (DLC) to receive help and tutoring for the #HiSET exam. Kimberly struggled with health issues the entire time she attended DLC causing her to m

By: Crystal Taylor, Lead Career Coach Industry: Hospitality & Tourism, Retail Quantez was enrolled into the #NextGen program on August 19, 2019, as a referral from #UrbanMinistries, where he was residing. Quantez moved to #DurhamNC from Roanoke Rapids after facing some legal issues and found himself homeless. With all his barriers, he stays motivated and determined to make steps towards having a positive future. From the beginning, Quantez had a plan on how to accomplish his