Leaders cast vision for the future of the NC Community College System

During its regular meeting, the Board continued discussions for its next strategic plan, which is set to be approved by September 2026 and will go through 2029.

The new plan will be developed over three stages: strategic goal development from now through January 2026, KPI (key performance indicators) and strategic implementation tactic development through June 2026, and then strategic plan approval and rollout through September 2026. You can read a timeline of the planning process on the system’s website.

“The 2026-29 Strategic Plan will establish the system’s direction at the highest level,” a framework document says.

Sen. Overcash said, “the goal here — at least from the General Assembly’s perspective — is for workforce and economic development.”

“We are going to have to work as a system,” he said. “The system can move at the speed of business and our Great 58 can come right along with that.”

“Without a systemwide approach,” Overcash said, “we are not going to get the swift action that we need to keep up to keep up with the demands of the current workforce and the current economic development needs in the state of North Carolina.”

Looney opened the first ever North Carolina Community College Summit — held at a moment in time replete with political, economic, societal, and technological challenges — with a vision for the summit to be the catalyst for designing a bold vision for North Carolina’s 58 community colleges.

The system has held planning retreats before, but the summit, said Looney, “is an opportunity to step back, look ahead, and set the course for the future of our system.”

He added, “we can’t move the community college system forward unless we operate as a team.”

The governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships recently held its first meeting since releasing a report in late June that outlines 11 workforce development goals. The goals seek to “enhance the connections between jobseekers, learners, and employers across the state” and each include a target to be achieved within the next four years.

As the council’s subcommittees consider what those strategies should be, the August meeting included a presentation from the National Governors Association (NGA) that provided context on the federal policy landscape and strategies other states are using to achieve similar goals.

In at least 11 counties across North Carolina, early childhood education agencies and community colleges are running child care academies designed to get new teachers into classrooms faster than traditional routes — and they’re doing it at little to no cost to participants.

Lasting from two to six weeks and requiring 20 to 64 hours of class time, these child care academies are customized to meet the local needs of the communities they serve.

In recent months, there’s been growing interest in expanding access to child care academies as a way to address early childhood educator shortages. A 2024 survey found 60% of licensed child care providers in North Carolina were experiencing staffing shortages.

Mental health | The UNC System will train up to 420 future teachers and principals in Mental Health First Aid to identify and respond to mental health challenges this school year. Mental Health First Aid gives participants the skills to provide “initial help and support” to individuals experiencing mental health or substance use issues or crises. The training began in Australia and came to the United States in 2008.

Hispanic Heritage Month | Gov. Stein issued a proclamation earlier this month recognizing Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month, a yearly nationwide tradition since 1988.

Program loses federal grant | A program at UNC-Chapel Hill that partners with a dozen community colleges to help train future preschool teachers to better serve students with disabilities lost a federal grant. “The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill has been running the SCRIPT-NC program since 2011, contributing to special education training for about 10,000 community college students taking classes to pursue work in the child care industry,” a recent press release said. UNC-Chapel Hill is planning to appeal the decision.

Enrollment | Gaston College is among several of the state’s 58 to report record-breaking enrollment this semester. College leaders said the significant rise is due to students enrolling in trade programs, a news release says. 

Weekly football show | Grit & Grind, a live weekly football show filmed on the campus of Nash Community College, covers more than 33 high school teams across the state. Show hosts, Shawn and Deryl Lucas, said their main goal is to shine a spotlight on the “talent, hard work, and heart” that North Carolina football brings every Friday night.

New programs | South Piedmont Community College will now offer an LPN-to-RN bridge program designed to help licensed practical nurses (LPN) advance their careers in a shortened amount of time, a press release says.

Partnerships | Fayetteville Technical Community College recently broke ground on a new regional truck driving center. The space will provide training for FTCC students and CDL students enrolled at Bladen Community College and Robeson Community College, in an effort to address the trucker driver shortage.

The Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) is partnering with Pitt Community College to offer  apprenticeships and cooperative learning experiences. This partnership is part of GUC’s efforts to increase “diversity among its employees despite facing an industrywide shortage of minorities and women trained in certain utilities,” a news release says.

Transfer agreements | NC State University recently announced a new program in collaboration with the N.C. Community College System, Wolfpack Connect. Students in the program who earn an associate degree from a participating community college and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher can enroll in more than 100 eligible NC State majors. The first three community college partners include Central Piedmont, Forsyth Technical, and Wake Technical, according to a college press release.

Cape Fear Community College and Western Governors University have signed a new transfer agreement.

Around campus | Edgecombe Community College is set to open the Eagles Empowerment Zone, a student space for wellness, esports, leadership, and academic support.