North Carolina approves first short-term training programs for Workforce Pell
On Wednesday, the NCWorks Commission approved 43 short-term workforce training programs for eligibility to qualify for the new federal Workforce Pell Grants. Those programs must now be approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
Workforce Pell, established in 2025 by the federal budget reconciliation bill, is an expansion of Pell Grants to cover certain short-term workforce training programs that meet rigorous standards, including strong completion and job placement rates. In North Carolina, students at community colleges and other postsecondary institutions who enroll in eligible programs may soon qualify to receive federal funds for their education.
“Folks, this is a big deal,” said Tom Rabon, chair of the NCWorks Commission, which was designated by Gov. Josh Stein as the lead agency for Workforce Pell implementation. “This is recognized by people far and beyond the confines of this room.
The vote to approve the 43 programs, which represented about a third of the applications the commission considered after an initial review, was unanimous. A round of applause followed the vote.
Other programs are still being evaluated for compliance with state and federal guidelines, and the application remains open, with additional NCWorks Commission approvals scheduled on a quarterly basis. According to the commission’s website, applications must be submitted by Oct. 15 to be reviewed before the next NCWorks Commission meeting in November.
There will also be a special meeting of the NCWorks Commission on Sep. 16 where the commission is expected to approve more programs for Workforce Pell, according to Brian Merritt, senior vice president and chief academic officer of the North Carolina Community Colleges System (NCCCS).
All 43 approved programs are housed at community colleges and represent a variety of fields, with healthcare and public safety being most common. Some examples include nurse aide, truck driving, electrical lineworker, welding, and emergency medical technician (EMT) programs.
Sixteen community colleges have at least one program that was approved, with the most approved programs at Forsyth Tech (6) and Gaston College (6):
- Beaufort County Community College
- Bladen Community College
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute
- Central Carolina Community College
- Central Piedmont Community College
- Craven Community College
- Fayetteville Technical Community College
- Forsyth Technical Community College
- Gaston College
- Guilford Technical Community College
- Mitchell Community College
- Robeson Community College
- Roanoke‑Chowan Community College
- Tri‑County Community College
- Wake Technical Community College
See the full list of approved programs here.
North Carolina leading the charge on Workforce Pell
Only a handful of states have approved programs at the state level, and the initial number of approved programs makes North Carolina stand out, said Andrea DeSantis, assistant secretary for workforce solutions at the N.C. Department of Commerce.
“When we talk to our peer states through a couple of different channels, North Carolina is really out in front in terms of our process timeline,” DeSantis told EdNC.
She said the strong push will continue as “many, many more” programs are approved later this year and over the next few years as postsecondary institutions potentially adjust their offerings to align with Workforce Pell requirements and labor market needs.
In this online Workforce Pell tracker, you can see the status of implementation across the country. For example, the state of Pennsylvania has approved just two of 40 program submissions so far, according to the tracker.
The U.S. Department of Education has 120 days to approve the now state-approved programs once they submit federal applications. DeSantis hopes approval will happen soon, so programs can start serving students with federal financial aid as they’re enrolling.
The Department of Education approved the first Workforce Pell program nationwide, an EMT program in Iowa, on Aug. 4.
Read more about Workforce Pell
Other updates from the NCWorks Commission meeting
In addition to voting on Workforce Pell program approvals, the commission voted unanimously to approve a “consumer choice in selecting training providers” policy statement. Read the policy statement here.
The commission also heard updates from its committees, a presentation on the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board’s Reentry Empowerment and Workforce Integration (REWI) initiative, and a panel discussion on internships for youth under age 18.
Updates from the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships met — its second-to-last planned meeting until the council will sunset at the end of the year.
Council members discussed new developments from representatives of various state agencies and heard a presentation about the Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership. Some points of note:
- Many members highlighted the state budget, signed into law in early July, which devotes many provisions to workforce development and related items, such as the NCCCS’s Propel NC funding model, an enhancement of NCcareers.org, funding for ApprenticeshipNC, and $1 million in short-term workforce development grants. Read more in EdNC’s coverage of the state budget.
- North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley discussed the “First in Opportunity” strategic economic development plan announced in May. The plan is “a comprehensive statewide roadmap designed to guide North Carolina’s next phase of economic growth, strengthen long-term competitiveness, and expand opportunity statewide,” according to a press release from Stein’s office.
- John Loyack, vice president of economic development for the NCCCS, expressed gratitude to the General Assembly for funding Propel NC, and noted that a highlight of the system’s upcoming report to the General Assembly is a marked increase in the number of registered apprentices, with pre-apprenticeships growing even faster.
- Sarah Bourland, senior policy adviser at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, noted the recent announcement of STEP-NC, the first registered healthcare apprenticeship program within state government. Read EdNC’s coverage.
- Multiple members, including Lilley, were looking forward to the approval of the first Workforce Pell-eligible programs later on Wednesday. Lilley said Workforce Pell is “one of the most significant changes in the workforce development policy for the federal government in quite some time.”