Secretary McMahon tours apprenticeship programs at Wake Technical Community College

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon toured two of Wake Technical Community College’s campuses on Wednesday, June 25, to learn about how the college’s apprenticeship programs are preparing students for emerging biotechnology sectors.

“Wake Tech is helping meet the critical need for skilled workers in fields like manufacturing and biotechnology,” McMahon said in a press release from the college. “I applaud North Carolina for its serious investment in workforce development programs like apprenticeships, CTE (Career & Technical Education), and skills-based hiring.”

During the visit, McMahon was accompanied by several higher education leaders, including Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls, North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) President Dr. Jeff Cox, State Board of Community Colleges Chair Tom Looney, and East Carolina University Chancellor Dr. Philip Rogers, along with industry partners and apprentices.

The first stop of the day was on Wake Tech’s southern Wake campus, visiting several labs at its Center for Building Technologies. There, McMahon learned about the college’s apprenticeship opportunities and its efforts to address the shortage of technical workers in the skilled trades.

Wake Tech currently has more than 500 students working as apprentices, the release said, at more than 150 companies in the Research Triangle. The programs are funded by Wake County’s WakeWorks initiative, per the release.

Next, the group visited Wake Tech’s high-tech Research Triangle Park Campus in Morrisville to learn about biotech training, where McMahon participated in a panel discussion about apprenticeship partnerships, talent pipelines, and more.

In December, biotechnology company Amgen announced that it plans to invest $1 billion to expand its manufacturing facility in Holly Springs. In January, the first group of Wake Tech apprentices signed on with Amgen. Through the program they will earn certificates in BioQuality and BioManufacturing and will complete half of the college credits required for an associate degree.

The first cohort of apprentices for Amgen recently completed its classroom and lab instruction, the release said, and is beginning on-the-job training at the company’s Holly Springs facility. The college will start a new biomechatronics apprenticeship partnership with CSL Seqirus, Fujifilm Biotechnologies, and Eli Lilly — companies that have each made major expansion announcements in recent months.

“As we prepare to begin operations at our world-class biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Holly Springs, and as our overall North Carolina workforce continues to grow, we welcome talented individuals with various training backgrounds and experiences to join us,” said Laurie Braxton, senior vice president and head of North Carolina operations for Fujifilm Biotechnologies.

During the Morrisville visit, McMahon participated in a biotech lab exercise, the release said. She also met the principal of the Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies, and the first Wake Tech graduate to earn a bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University, also offered at Wake Tech.

“We’re a ‘through college’ to job opportunities, and we’re also an ‘and college,'” President Ralls said. “It’s not either-or. It’s not apprenticeship or college; it’s apprenticeship and college. And it’s not community college or university; it’s community college and university.”

According to the release, McMahon said she was impressed by how Wake Tech is meeting workforce training needs.

“I appreciated the opportunity to visit Wake Tech to see how they prepare the next generation in skilled trades through a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on training,” she said.

Federal emphasis on workforce and CTE

In May, McMahon testified to a U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee about President Donald Trump’s budget proposal, which would cut education funding by 15%.

According to McMahon’s prepared statement, Trump’s proposed budget prioritizes, among other things, Pell Grants for low-income students and Career and Technical Education (CTE) grants.

In April, Trump also signed seven executive orders impacting K-12 and higher education.

One of the executive orders titled, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” was accompanied by additional information on how and why federal agencies must “re-align programs to address critical workforce needs in emerging industries.”

The order says, “It is the policy of the United States to optimize and target Federal investments in workforce development to align with our country’s reindustrialization needs and equip American workers to fill the growing demand for skilled trades and other occupations. My Administration will further protect and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships and build on their successes to seize new opportunities and unlock the limitless potential of the American worker.”

The order requires a report within 90 days setting forth strategies to help the American worker, and within six months a plan to reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices.

“Not every student needs to attend a four-year university to enter a family-sustaining career,” McMahon said in her statement. “The Trump Administration will support communities across the country that are offering career-aligned programs like apprenticeships and dual enrollment to best meet the needs of their workforce.”