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ApprenticeshipNC explores ways to expand the state’s labor market

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Courtesy of Surry-Yadkin Works

Over 250 apprenticeship stakeholders gathered in Durham March 10-11 for the 2025 ApprenticeshipNC Conference. The two-day event provided opportunities for leaders to “share best practices and explore strategies to expand North Carolina’s labor market through Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Programs,” a press release says. 

This year’s keynote speaker was North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. During his address, Stein said the goal is to set the national base for growing more skilled workers for businesses and more career opportunities for young people.

“No state will outwork North Carolina in workforce development while I am your governor,” Stein said.

During Stein’s recent State of the State address, he listed several goals and priorities related to apprenticeships in North Carolina, including doubling the number of apprentices over the next four years and the creation of a Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships “to unite our community colleges, public schools, and local businesses around our shared goal of getting more people access to good jobs with good wages.”

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ApprenticeshipNC Director Chris Harrington shared a similar vision during this year’s conference, announcing that his team is dedicated to increasing the number of registered apprentices to 10 per 1,000 workers by 2034.

Speakers during the conference included representatives from across the state, including Apprenticeship Randolph, McGee Brothers, the City of Greensboro, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Northern Regional Hospital, and nine community colleges.

Recipients of the 2025 ApprenticeshipNC Awards were recognized during the conference. This year’s winners include:

North Carolina’s apprenticeship landscape

In its 2021 biennium budget, the North Carolina General Assembly included $12 million to expand apprenticeships in the state to individuals ages 16 to 25. The funding supports 50 of the system’s 58 community colleges serving Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties and small businesses (no more than 500 employees) working with one of the 50 eligible community colleges.

Employers receive up to $2,000 per apprentice for onboarding and training and a 50% salary reimbursement on wages up to $15 per hour for non-high school students and $14 per hour for high school students. Colleges receive up to $2,500 per apprentice for tuition, books, fees, and supplies. The funds had to be obligated by Dec. 21, 2024 and fully dispersed by Dec. 31, 2026. 

The funding has contributed to the registration of 1,385 apprentices between the ages of 15 and 25 for 155 employers by ApprenticeshipNC, the state apprenticeship agency housed under the N.C. Community College System (NCCCS).

Employers are using the non-recurring grant funding to expand registered apprenticeship programs in high-demand occupation areas including IT, advanced manufacturing, education, health care, construction, transportation, and more. 

Harrington said in a March press release that nearly 700 apprentices from 170 employers remain on a waitlist for funding to implement registered apprenticeship programs. 

“To fund the requests on the current waitlist, approximately $14 million is needed,” Harrington said. 

ApprenticeshipNC currently serves 10,617 active apprentices and pre-apprentices, in addition to 2,225 national programs located in the state, the press release says.