ASHEVILLE – Good Jobs Western North Carolina has secured $3.3 million in new philanthropic commitments while awarding $3.2 million to 11 community colleges for employer-aligned training expected to reach about 1,200 people across 23 western counties.
The new commitments are separate from the $3.2 million in grants already awarded through the initiative. The Rockefeller Foundation said it will provide $1 million over two years, and the John M. Belk Endowment will provide $2 million in matching support. The NC GSK Foundation is also joining the funding coalition, although the announcement did not state its individual contribution.
EdNC reported that the college awards range from $200,000 to $300,000. The 11 recipients are Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Blue Ridge, Caldwell, Haywood, Isothermal, Mayland, McDowell Technical, Southwestern, Tri-County, Western Piedmont and Wilkes community colleges.
The programs focus on health care, advanced manufacturing, skilled trades and transportation. Examples include electrical, plumbing and HVAC training at A-B Tech; engineering and advanced manufacturing at Blue Ridge; nursing at Caldwell, Mayland, Southwestern and Tri-County; commercial driver training at Haywood; and manufacturing programs at McDowell Technical, Western Piedmont and Wilkes.
The initiative lists 48 employer partners. Participating colleges are expected to align training with hiring demand through paid work-based learning, guaranteed interviews and other employer commitments. Organizers project about 900 job placements and 300 work-based learning opportunities during the first two years. Those figures are program targets, not completed placements.
Good Jobs Western North Carolina was introduced in April as an America Achieves-led workforce partnership serving the 23-county region after Hurricane Helene. The grants give colleges added capacity to train residents for jobs that regional employers say they need to fill, but the awards do not guarantee that the projected placements will occur.