Apprentices take the stage at the North Carolina State Fair
A note from us
Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter with the latest updates on community college news and events. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up for the Awake58 newsletter here, and you can find last week’s edition on our website.
This week’s edition is by Sophia Luna, a policy analyst at EdNC.
State leaders stopped by the ApprenticeshipNC contests at the North Carolina State Fair… Catch up on remarks from the N.C. Community College System conference… Take a closer look at Blue Ridge Community College’s Strengthening Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (SEAM) effort as part of Good Jobs WNC… Plus, learn about TeachReadyNC, a new teacher apprenticeship model…
Good morning and welcome to Awake58 — Sophia here.
Last week, I attended ApprenticeshipNC’s annual electrical trades competition, where I saw firsthand the technical skills and knowledge electrical apprentices acquire through hundreds of hours of hands-on training.
N.C. Labor Commissioner Luke Farley and Rep. John Bell, R-Wayne, stopped by the ApprenticeshipNC tent on Wednesday to cheer on the competitors. The elected leaders were joined by members of the State Board of Community Colleges, including Board Chair Tom Looney.
When I asked Farley what his favorite part of the competition was, he said it was “seeing these apprentices really practice their craft and their trade. And then to recognize the people who do it excellently, (it) is just a neat thing to see.”
Across the skilled trades, companies are facing employee shortages. In North Carolina, registered apprenticeship programs are a strategy working to fill that need.
At the State Board’s October meeting, ApprenticeshipNC released its annual report. Last year, the state agency registered 5,659 new apprentices, up about 9% from the previous year.
With a new state appropriation of $4.4 million following the state budget’s $3.17 million recurring investment in ApprenticeshipNC, the annual report states that the agency can now “move from grant-dependent growth to a deliberate and sustainable statewide expansion strategy.”
Craig Myers is the CEO of Watson Electric — the company whose apprentices took home first and second place during the competition. As the host of roughly 50 apprentices this year, he told me that taking a risk on investing in young people through apprenticeships is worth it.
“Especially in today’s world, with the lack of skilled labor, training your people and retaining your people is probably one of the most important things we can do as a company,” he said.
Congratulations to electrical apprentices winners Erik, Issachar, and Tyler, and the many other winners of ApprenticeshipNC competitions that took place last week. I hope you all got to enjoy the State Fair’s food, rides, and shows after your competitions.
You can read my recap of the competition here, and my colleague Molly Steur’s recap of October’s State Board meeting here.
I’m excited to be back in your inbox soon.
Until then,
Sophia Luna
Policy Analyst, EdNC
EdNC reads
Around NC
NC Community College System hosts first regional convenings | The system kicked off its series of 12 regional convenings last week, gathering with college leaders and workforce partners at Johnston and Sandhills community colleges.
New dashboard maps how NC’s CTE dual enrollment pathways align with workforce needs | A new resource from MDRC and the National Rural Higher Education Research Center offers community college leaders a closer look at how dual enrollment pathways align with local jobs. Explore the data here.
Gov. Josh Stein visits Roanoke-Chowan Community College to highlight apprenticeship program | The visit focused on a recent investment from the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission that is helping the college train the welding workforce.
Capital Area Workforce Development Board receives $5.8 million federal grant to support reskilling | The workforce board will lead a regional partnership serving 15 counties that will connect more than 600 laid-off workers to career guidance, short-term training, and employers.
Guilford Tech receives $3 million Title III grant | The five-year Strengthening Institutions Program grant will be used to improve student onboarding and advising for those seeking degrees in high-demand, high-skill career pathways.
Wake Tech celebrates groundbreaking of affordable housing development | The college-donated land will become a 200-home community located adjacent to the college’s public safety education campus. At least 30% of homes will be reserved for eligible low- and moderate-income Wake Tech students.
Search begins for next Sampson Community College president | With Dr. Bill Starling set to retire in the spring, the college’s Board of Trustees hopes to select a new president by March. The deadline for applications is Nov. 13.
Cape Fear Community College research ship to become an artificial reef | The college is donating the R/V Cape Hatteras to the state’s Division of Marine Fisheries. The ship will be sunk 18 miles off of Wrightsville Beach, providing habitat for marine life.
NCCU expands transfer opportunities through eight new community college partnerships | The partnerships create seamless transfer pathways from community colleges to N.C. Central University as part of Eagle Connect.
Early voting runs through 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 | Catch up on EdNC’s election guide here, and our guide to constitutional tax amendments here.
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