Teaming for Technlogy

North Carolina
Youth and Technology Fact Sheet

The New Workforce: The Benefits of Having Technology Skills

At present, over half (57%) of Americans over age 25 who are employed use a computer at work.
By the year 2010, jobs in the computer and mathematical fields are expected to increase by 67%.
44 out of every 1,000 private sector workers in North Carolina are employed by high-tech firms (23rd highest rate in the nation).
North Carolina is 13th in the U.S. for overall number of high-tech workers and 19th for average high-tech wage.
High-tech industry workers earn an average of $36,300 more per year than other private sector workers.

The Digital Economy...Are North Carolina's Youth Prepared for It?

Among North Carolina's children, 9% or 170,000, do not have a phone at home.6
North Carolina ranks 40th among states in providing children with access to a phone at home.
50% of North Carolina's households do not own a computer and 56% do not have Internet access (national average is 43% and 49%, respectively).
81% of households in North Carolina earning less than $15,000 per year do not own a computer and 85% do not use the Internet at home (national average is 77% and 82%, respectively).

Are Schools Equipping Our Youth? Where North Carolina Stands

24% of 4th graders and 30% of 8th graders in North Carolina scored below the basic level of math that is expected in their grade (national average is 33% and 35%, respectively).
There are 8.8 students for every Internet-connected computer in North Carolina's public schools, yet in high-poverty schools this figure jumps to 9.6 students per connected computer (national average is 6.8 and 8.1, respectively).
In 27% of schools in North Carolina, the majority of teachers (at least half) are "beginners" when it comes to using technology (national average is 24%). However, in high-poverty schools this number increases to 28% (national average is 29%).

North Carolina's Young People Most in Need: What Is Known

Of the 1.8 million children in North Carolina, 338,000, or 19% are living in poverty. North Carolina ranks 37th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia at combating child poverty.
24% of North Carolina's children live with parents who do not have full-time, year-round employment (national average is 25%).
8% of teens in North Carolina do not attend school and do not work (national average is 8%).
North Carolina residents aged 20-24 had an unemployment rate of 10.2 in 2000 (the state unemployment rate for all ages was 5.5).