Central Piedmont Community College has a robust apprenticeship program — one example of how North Carolina’s community colleges are stepping up to meet modern demands. Courtesy of Central Piedmont Community College/Groninger
Appeared as a sponsored section in the March 2019 issue
North Carolina’s community colleges operate in a challenging environment in which increasingly sophisticated employers need highly skilled workers. They’re rising to the challenge.
To meet the needs of 21st-century industries, community colleges have developed a variety of apprenticeship programs in conjunction with specific employers.
They’ve added new spaces such as clean rooms to train the next generation of advanced manufacturers.
A growing number of the 58 community colleges in the N.C. system are developing programs specifically for new employers in their respective regions.
Initiatives include Alamance Community College’s Biotechnology Center of Excellence and Wake Tech’s Research Triangle Park campus, which houses its Corporate and Business Solutions division and provides customized corporate training and industry credentialing.
In addition, community colleges help existing workers update and enhance their education through continuing education. At Lenoir Community College, for instance, displaced workers can enroll in short-term training and be in a new career through one of the college’s newest programs, Quick Jobs.
But N.C. community colleges aren’t limited to offering generic training. Central Piedmont Community College currently has about 145 students in apprenticeship programs and hopes to add more in coming years.
It’s all part of a system dedicated to educating the workforce of the future.
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Central Piedmont Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Guilford Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College