WCC Awarded $300,000 Good Jobs WNC Grant to Expand Workforce Training and Career Pathways
Wilkesboro, N.C. – Wilkes Community College has been awarded $300,000 through the Good Jobs WNC initiative, supported by America Achieves and the J.M. Belk Endowment. The award will support WCC’s Good Jobs in Motion effort, an initiative designed to connect education, and employment through a Work & Learn model, expanded workplace training, and innovative mobile learning technologies.
Together, these efforts will help more students enter high-demand careers, more workers advance their skills, and more employers develop the talent they need to grow.
Good Jobs in Motion builds on WCC’s employer-driven approach to workforce development by strengthening pathways into advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and skilled trades occupations. Through Work & Learn, students gain paid, real-world experience while working toward a credential, creating a direct connection between education and employment.
The grant will also support the procurement of mobile immersive learning tools designed to build early career awareness and provide on-site training for incumbent workers. These strategies will expand opportunities for students and workers to develop skills, earn credentials, and advance their careers.
“Good Jobs in Motion is a strong example of how Wilkes Community College puts our mission and vision into action,” said Dr. Mike Rodgers, President of Wilkes Community College. “By connecting education directly to the needs of employers and providing students and workers with meaningful opportunities to build skills and earn credentials, we are helping individuals achieve their goals while strengthening the workforce that supports our communities and regional economy. This grant allows WCC to expand innovative approaches that meet people where they are and create pathways to quality careers.”
Over the grant period, Wilkes Community College will continue to collaborate with regional employers and workforce partners to expand access to quality jobs and strengthen the talent pipeline across northwest North Carolina. By helping more students enter the workforce and more workers earn credentials, Good Jobs in Motion reflects WCC’s commitment to developing the talent that powers our communities, our industry partners, and our future.
To learn more about opportunities at WCC, visit www.wilkescc.edu/request-information.
About Wilkes Community College
Wilkes Community College, a member of the North Carolina Community College System, is a public, two-year, open-door institution serving the people of Wilkes, Ashe, and Alleghany counties and beyond. Established in 1965, WCC has a proud history of meeting the educational, cultural, and workforce needs of our community. As we look to the future, Wilkes Community College provides programs, resources, and services that create quality educational, economic development, and cultural opportunities. WCC aspires to be an effective, learner-centered institution and a dynamic learning organization, preparing students for success in a changing world.
