The leader of the Great 58, North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) President Thomas Stith, recently joined the NC Chamber for a webinar to discuss building a workforce through on-the-job learning and classroom instruction. There are 58 community colleges across North Carolina’s 100 counties, and these schools are essential partners to job creators for securing skilled talent pipelines statewide.

Employers have access to a valuable resource: NCCCS ApprenticeshipNC. Our state’s job creators can easily identify and contact ApprenticeshipNC representatives in their regions to get started. These consultants collaborate with employers (for free) to create a tailored registered apprenticeship that fulfills a business’s specific workforce needs. Registered apprentices earn state and national credentials certifying their skills.

Once an employer contacts an ApprenticeshipNC consultant, the local representative will guide the employer in developing a registered apprenticeship program following these steps:

• Provide new employer information to ApprenticeshipNC consultant
• ApprenticeshipNC director reviews and approves customized standards of apprenticeship developed with employer’s input
• Consultant receives finalized standards of apprenticeship and certificate of registration
• Employer implements registered apprenticeship program

A 2020 ROI Study of North Carolina employers with apprenticeships revealed a high return on investment. For every $1 that North Carolina employers invest in apprentices, they receive an average of $1.70 in additional value. Businesses can adapt apprenticeship programs for existing training and HR development strategies.

Job creators, from the mountains to the coast, must collaborate with the Great 58 to align education with today’s in-demand skills. Apprenticeships are a proven path to recruiting, training, and retaining a competitive workforce.