State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green visited a Guilford County Schools’ (GCS) Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter on Feb. 11 as a part of the state’s “Find Your Fit, Build Your Future” initiative.
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) began the six-week public awareness initiative in January to showcase the different options students have within North Carolina’s public schools.
“We want to be sure that families across the state understand the incredible options that are available for them within public education,” Green said during the visit.
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Among the options highlighted by DPI are Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which had a chance to shine during Green’s visit last week.
During the visit, student members of Southern Guilford High School’s FFA chapter presented three components of their school’s Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AGNR) programming: horticulture, animal science, and agricultural engineering. Green was able to view a CNC machine, which allows students to create designs for products through a computer software. The group also visited a greenhouse, where students grow plants to sell in the spring, along with a tour of the barn where students raise goats and chickens.
On top of their coursework, students explained that they host several career development events. Examples include hunter safety, plant and tool identification, Spanish FFA creed speaking, and different evaluations for the farm animals they raise and meat they produce.
“Not only does our agriculture and FFA program teach students hands-on skills that can help them in life — in their career, in their workforce, whatever it is that they go into in terms of taking care of plants, taking care of animals and producing their own food,” said Hailey Peeler, agricultural CTE instructor and Southern Guilford FFA adviser. “But it also teaches them public speaking skills.”
Southern Guilford High students like Zach Payne said that through FFA they have also been able to build their leadership skills.
“I was homeschooled most of my life, and I was a little nervous coming to school. I knew about the program, so I thought, yeah, I’ll get into that, and maybe one day I’ll be able to talk in front of people and just really be sociable,” Payne said. “And that’s really changed me. I like talking in front of people, and I think it’s just really, really fun.”
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According to Matt Vaughn, the school’s career and college manager, about 250 Southern Guilford High students enrolled in agriculture-related courses in the 2025-26 academic year. The school also said that 27% of CTE concentrators who are graduating in the class of 2026 are AGNR students.
Peeler highlighted that their school was responsible for producing 15% of certified veterinary assistants in North Carolina for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the state’s recent credential and attainment report.
The following credentials are offered to GCS students in the AGNR CTE career cluster:
- Certified Veterinary Assistant
- National Beef Quality Assurance Cow/Calf Certification
- NC Private Pesticide Applicator
- Youth for Quality Care of Animals
- WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate
During the 2024-25 school year, CTE students in North Carolina earned 382,964 industry-recognized credentials — the highest total in state history, the report said. The state’s CTE program offers pathways in 14 career clusters with access to 292 industry-recognized credentials.
“From game design to agriculture to advanced manufacturing, CTE programs are helping students discover their passions and turn them into careers,” Trey Michael, senior director of CTE said in a press release. “Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from CTE programs and industry credentialing. Our graduates are critical to meeting the workforce needs across the state.”
Michael said 65,000 new CTE concentrators — students who take two or three courses in a career pathway — enroll annually, with a four-year cohort graduation rate of 98.57%. According to the report, nearly three-in-four concentrators received an industry-recognized credential in their concentration.
“When I talk about the industry-recognized credentials, these are amazing opportunities for students to be able to present themselves to potential employers and say, ‘I’ve already done enough study and work that I’m able to come in and actually be employed and be a successful partner in a business,’” Green said during last week’s visit.
More information can be found about CTE programs at GCS in a district document.
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