A look at what's ahead for North Carolina's community colleges

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Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter where you’ll find the latest updates on community college related news and events around the state. Plus, a look at what’s trending nationally in higher education.

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A look at what’s ahead for NC’s community colleges this year… A recap from this year’s NC Chamber conference… An EdExplainer on how to use NCCareers.org… Gov. Josh Stein visits Henderson County and learns about a new health care workforce program… Four NC community colleges join Aspen network… A look at alternative educator preparation programs… An early college student story… Community colleges partner on AI and biotech programs… Plus, register for upcoming events…

Hi all, Emily Thomas with Awake58.

As students head back to school this fall, we’re taking a look at what’s ahead for North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. From record enrollments to statewide initiatives to shifts in workforce demands (and more), this article highlights some of the big issues impacting our state’s community colleges as the new school year begins.

You’ll find information and updates on:

The NC Community College System’s (NCCCS) transition after system president Dr. Jeff Cox announced his retirement last month.
Colleges experiencing record enrollments this fall, along with insights into what’s driving enrollment increases.
Several new initiatives across the state, including direct college admission and Boost.
State and national data on workforce, unemployment, and new strategies aimed at connecting individuals to jobs and filling the workforce gap.
Pell Grants for short-term workforce training.
Apprenticeships in North Carolina and the current state of funding and policies.
Federal cuts and potential impacts for student basic needs.

Be sure to also check out EdNC Policy Analyst Sophia Luna’s article about this year’s NC Chamber conference, which focused on technology shifts and the need for more collaboration among business and education leaders. The keynote presenter, Stuart Andreason, executive director of programs at the Burning Glass Institute, discussed how technology, especially AI, is altering the kinds of skills people need to have at their jobs and the types of jobs available.

“…Let’s all think about whether we’re being as flexible as we need to be. Have we adapted our curriculums by 37%, or 76%, as we think about what these jobs look like?” Andreason asked during the conference.

Innovative ideas and collaborations continue to pop up all across the state. On Aug. 20, Gov. Josh Stein visited West Henderson High School to highlight the local school district’s new health care fellows program, which pairs participating students with a sponsoring hospital. The program fully funds their attendance at Blue Ridge Community College. And, after graduation, fellows launch their health care careers with the hospital that sponsored them.

ICYMI: Several months ago, two new toolkits launched — one for advanced manufacturing and one for health care — featuring innovative partnership models that are meeting the evolving workforce demands, particularly in rural regions.

We want to extend our gratitude to our community colleges for welcoming us to your campuses. Team EdNC has been out visiting several colleges that are part of Boost — a new accelerated college-to-career program designed to increase completion rates and move students into high-wage, high-demands jobs. A big thank you to all those who helped coordinate our visits to these campuses.

Be sure to check out the AroundNC section for more news from around the state, and don’t forget to register for upcoming events.

Until next week,

Emily Thomas

Regional Director of Western North Carolina — EdNC.org

EdNC reads

What’s ahead for North Carolina’s community colleges this year

As of July 2025, the national unemployment rate was 4.2%, and the number of unemployed individuals totaled 7.2 million. A recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Richmond Fed) noted that the rate of individuals looking for jobs with no previous work experience rose to 13.4% in July 2025, the highest rate since April 1988.

North Carolina, however, is faring better economically than the country overall — the state’s unemployment rate in July was 3.7%, increasing 0.1% from the previous year. In July, North Carolina was named the top state for business by CNBC for the third time in the last four years. By 2030, North Carolina is projected to be the seventh most populated state in the country, reaching a population of 11.7 million.

Education, business leaders urge collaboration in face of technological shifts

On Aug. 21, leaders in education, nonprofit, government, and business sectors gathered at the NC Chamber’s annual education and workforce conference. A month earlier, North Carolina was named the top state for business by CNBC for the third time in the last four years. In response, the conference encouraged sector leaders to discuss North Carolina’s economic growth, technology’s hand in rapidly changing the state’s labor market needs, and their own opportunities to coordinate strategies that will prepare a confident future workforce.

EdExplainer | What is NCCareers.org and how can it help me find a job?

First launched in July 2020, NCCareers.org is a resource hub for current and future members of North Carolina’s labor force. After being redesigned in 2025, the website now offers revamped tools and resources to help users find a career that fits their skills and interests.

Gov. Josh Stein spotlights health care partnership in Henderson County

The new program is a partnership between Henderson County Public Schools, Blue Ridge Community College, and AdventHealth Hendersonville and UNC Health Pardee — the two sponsoring hospitals. The partnership is designed to remove financial barriers, provide mentorship and hands-on experience, and retain talented health care professionals in the region, according to a press release from Blue Ridge Community College. Each fellow will receive full funding for tuition, books, and required materials at Blue Ridge, the release said, funded by one of the sponsoring hospitals.

Four NC community colleges join Aspen network to improve post-graduation outcomes

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced the 55 community colleges that will join the Unlocking Opportunity network on Aug. 19. The four North Carolina colleges participating are Durham Technical, Stanly, Isothermal, and Forsyth Technical community colleges.

Participants in the network will work with Aspen to assess their programs, set goals, and implement reforms across three years. Among those goals is an enrollment increase in and completion of high-value workforce and transfer programs.

Around NC

Student stories | In this student story article, EdNC’s Rakyah Jacobs shares how Allison Pratt, a graduate of SandHoke Early College High School, is charting a bold course in science, service, and scholarship. Pratt graduated Summa Cum Laude with an associate in arts degree and entered North Carolina State University as a junior this fall, majoring in biological sciences.

Check out this story about two Carteret Community College students, Brandon Hobbs and Scott Scoggins, who are currently part of a work-release program at Carteret Correctional.

Alternative Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) | This EdExplainer outlines alternative EPPs, highlighting the various EPP pathways that exist in North Carolina, including through community colleges.

Perspective | In this perspective, Durham Technical President J.B. Buxton and Achieving the Dream President and CEO Karen Stout discuss the importance of higher education institutions reminding the “public and policymakers of their mission and demonstrate the understandable and measurable effects for the students they enroll and the communities they serve.”

Partnership spotlight | Wilson and Wayne community colleges are teaming up to offer artificial intelligence engineering and biotechnology programs to students at both schools.

Innovative High School | According to a recent college press release, “Moore County Schools held a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, September 3, for Moore Innovative High School (MIHS) on the Sandhills Community College (SCC) campus, marking a major milestone for the district’s first cooperative innovative high school focused on skilled trades.”

Record enrollment | Gaston College’s fall 2025 enrollment numbers are the highest in its history, according to a release from the college.

N.C. A&T mourns loss | “Maj. Gen. Joseph McNeil, one of the legendary members of the A&T Four who electrified the Civil Rights movement 65 years ago with a sit-in protest that helped lay the groundwork for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, passed away Sept 4. He was 83,” according to a recent college press release.

Leadership opportunity | The North Carolina Community College Leadership Program (NCCCLP) is currently recruiting emerging leaders for its next cohort. The application window closes on Sept. 22.

Upcoming events | The NCCCS Office is hosting a webinar for the higher education and military-affiliated community in North Carolina. The American Council on Education (ACE) Learning Evaluators will lead the webinar. The session will cover various items, including information about military credit for prior learning (CPL) and Official Military Transcript. The webinar is Thursday, Oct. 9 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST. Please RSVP directly to ACE.

The Latine Education Summit is scheduled for Oct. 15-17 in Greensboro. Additional details and information about registering can be found here.

Registration is open for the 38th annual NCWorks Partnership Conference, which is also scheduled for Oct. 15-17, at the Koury Convention Center/Sheraton Four Seasons in Greensboro. This year’s theme is “Stronger Together. Unlimited Possibilities.” You can read the draft agenda and more information here.

To register, visit www.train.ncworks.gov. If you don’t have a TRAIN account, click on “Create an Account” or contact the NCWorks Training Center at [email protected] for assistance.

Registration for the 11th annual Dallas Herring Lecture is now open. The virtual event, presented by the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research, is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. EST. Dr. Jason Wood, former president of the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence winner Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, will deliver the 2025 lecture, titled, “We Don’t Graduate People Into Poverty: Designing the College Experience Around Student Success.”