Duke Energy Foundation has awarded a total of $500,000 to support 19 North Carolina community college programs that are creating a pipeline of skilled workers who will help meet the energy industry’s growing workforce needs.
A $100,000 grant also will support the Forward Fund to help students in Southeastern North Carolina attain high-wage employment opportunities.
“As our state and industry continue to grow, North Carolina’s community colleges are helping us meet the moment,” Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, Kendal Bowman, said in a press release. “As technologies change and we modernize our energy fleet, we want talent here in the state to help us support our communities and build a smarter energy future for customers.”
Among the grantees is Durham Technical Community College, which received a $25,000 grant to enhance its electric line technician training program. Fayetteville Technical Community College will use its $25,000 grant on recruitment and resources for its lineworker program.
Wayne Community College (WCC) will use its grant funds to purchase equipment for its educational program with dual-enrolled high school students at Wayne School of Engineering.
At Forsyth Technical Community College, the $25,000 grant will support the modernization of its welding lab, a shared space with Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina.
The grant will be matched by a $25,000 contribution from Goodwill, along with an additional $5,000 from the Forsyth Tech Foundation to fund a critical piece of equipment.
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James Sprunt Community College (JSCC) was awarded a $397,000 High-Cost Health Care Expansion Grant of $397,000. The North Carolina Community College System provided this grant opportunity for healthcare education facilities to improve equipment and provide educators with the highest forms of technology to equip students for optimal performance.
JSCC will use the funds to upgrade its equipment. Some purchases include an ambulance simulator and new high-fidelity manikins.
The college has built a healthy partnership with the county emergency medical services to ensure that employees in Duplin County are well-trained. Duplin County EMS will have access to these new devices as they take courses at JSCC.
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Novo Nordisk has donated a state-of-the-art Fanuc manufacturing robot to Johnston Community College (JCC) for use in its biotechnology and engineering training programs.
Several packaging and automation engineers from Novo Nordisk presented the robot on Tuesday at the Johnston County Workforce Development Center, sharing insights and expertise to help ensure JCC instructors and students get the most out of this advanced technology.
“Providing students with hands-on experience in robotics allows them to build essential skills that are directly applicable in the biotechnology field. Collaborating with local institutions is crucial for nurturing the future workforce,” said Jamie Ellis, Novo Nordisk project manager and engineer, who led the donation initiative.
The donated robot previously played a vital role in Novo Nordisk’s production lines for packaging diabetes and obesity medications. Brand new, these robots can cost between $25,000 and $30,000.
Arizona
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC), one of the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges, recently received two gifts totaling $15,000 for the Queen Creek Promise.
The donations came from local partners Crown Castle ($10,000) and GM Financial ($5,000).
The Queen Creek Promise is allows eligible high school students the Town of Queen Creek to attend CGCC for two years with their tuition fully funded.
Kentucky
Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) has been awarded a provisional grant, expected to total around $4.5 million, by the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet’s Office of Adult Education. The three-year grant will support the continued delivery of adult education programs in Central Kentucky.
BCTC’s adult education program offers free, high-quality services, including GED preparation, workplace English skills and workforce education.
“I am extremely pleased that BCTC Adult Education can continue the important work we have been doing since 1998. Our efforts have a profound impact on families and the communities we serve,” said David Sturgill, BCTC’s regional director of adult education.
Texas
Texas Mutual has awarded Midland College a $100,000 grant to continue funding the Risk Management Institute. The grant will allow the college to provide workplace safety courses to employers, workers and the general public.
This is the 21st year Texas Mutual has provided this grant to Midland College.
In 2024, Midland College’s Risk Management Institute delivered courses to more than 1,700 students. That’s a 34% increase in registrations from 2023.
The institute is expanding its course catalog further with the launch of Stop the Bleed training this month.
Washington
A $35,000 grant to the Yakima Valley College (YVC) Foundation will allow for more scholarships to students preparing for public health careers.
The grant was awarded by the Yakima Valley Community Foundation (YVCF) in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health.
YVC’s healthcare pathway offers hands-on training in direct patient care programs, including nursing, dental hygiene and veterinary technology as well as training for high-demand, well-paying roles such as medical assistants, billers and coders, pharmacy technicians, phlebotomists, surgical technicians and more.
“This award helps us expand the public health workforce that can respond to the cultural and linguistic needs of communities disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health and health inequities amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Enriqueta Garcia-Sanchez, YVCF program officer.
