The Fulbright S-I-R program is a national initiative that helps higher education institutions advance their international presence by hosting a non-U.S. scholar. Fulbright S-I-Rs often assist their host college with curriculm development; diversifing the educational experiences of students, faculty and community members; teaching classes; and more.
Dr. De Farias is CPCC’s first Fulbright S-I-R. He took a leave of absence from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) in Recife, Brazil, to join CPCC’s International Business Department as an instructor and resource. He has been involved in a number of projects since becoming a CPCC family member, including:
“Salomão has been an outstanding addition to our college and to Mecklenburg County,” said Nadine Russell, program chair of International Learning at CPCC. “In the classroom, he has helped prepare our students for a more globally-diverse world; and in the community, he has shared his unique international perspective with local leaders, schools and service organizations to broaden their views and opinions.
Dr. De Farias holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Paraiba and a doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Sao Paulo. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Management and the Association of Consumer Research and has served as a visiting scholar with Brazilian government grants at Auburn University and Georgia State University.
At the end of his Fulbright S-I-R in May 2012, Dr. De Farias will return to UFPE where he will resume his full-time marketing professor position, teaching the university’s students Marketing Management, International Marketing, International Business, Consumer Behavior and Service Marketing.
To learn more about the Fulbright S-I-R program, please visit http://www.cies.org/sir/. To learn more about International Business programs at CPCC, go to https://www.cpcc.edu/business_accounting/international-business.
]]>The conference will provide a keynote address, a guest speaker, panel discussion, a wide-range of networking opportunities and much more. Scheduled sessions include:
Keynote Address, Jim Muehlhausen, CPA, JD
Mr. Muehlhausen will present, “Business Blueprint 2021,” which will focus on specific action steps businesspeople can take to leverage trends and adapt to the new and future reality of business.
Jim is known as the youngest franchisee in Meineke Discount Muffler history (1987-1991). After successfully selling that business, Mr. Muehlhausen founded an automotive aftermarket manufacturing company. During his nine-year tenure, the company achieved recognition from Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School and Inc. Magazine in the IC 100 Fastest Growing Businesses. He is also the founder of the Business Model Institute and author of “The 51 Fatal Business Errors and How to Avoid Them.”
Economic Trends, Changing Times and Small Business, presented by Holly Wade, senior policy analyst for the National Federation of Independent Business
Expert Panel Discussion featuring:
- Catherine A. Barnes, attorney, James, McElroy & Diehl, P.A.
- Kenny Colbert, president and CEO, The Employers Association
- Sara Garcés, CEO, RED F Marketing, LLC
- Jeffrey Ledford, partner, Ernst & Young, LLP
- Thomas L. Smallwood III, senior vice president, Fifth Third Bank (NC)
WHEN: Monday, May 21; 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
WHERE: Harris Conference Center, CPCC Harris Campus, 3210 Harris Campus Dr., Charlotte, N.C.
CONTACT: Tickets are $39. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.cpcc.edu/einstitute/entrepreneurial-success or call 704.330.6736. Parking is available on the Harris Campus, for directions, visit http://www.cpcc.edu/campuses/harris/directions.
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During last year’s event, close to 2,000 candidates – comprised of both Charlotte residents and CPCC students/graduates – met with more than 70 potential employers to discuss how their qualifications could help move the company’s business forward.
Boost your company’s visibility and register to join the many businesses already on board in 2012. The event draws media attention year after year; past appearances include publicity on Charlotte’s television and radio networks and in The Charlotte Observer. It’s this regional exposure, combined with the opportunity to meet quality talent that makes CPCC’s Career Fair an exceptional value.
Visit www.cpcc.edu/career/fair or call 704.330.4247 to learn how you can get involved. The general registration fee is $295; $150 for non-profits. Deadline to register is March 1. Event sponsorships are still available as well; the sponsorship fee is $850, which must be received by January 12, 2012.
For more information, please visit www.cpcc.edu/career/fair or call 704.330.4247.
]]>Guest List for the First Lady's Box at the State of the Union Address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/24/guest-list-first-ladys-box-state-union-address
01/24 -- http://thepage.time.com/2012/01/24/guest-list-for-the-first-ladys-box/
01/24 -- http://obsdailyviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-first-ladys-box-cpcc-student.html
01/25 -- http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/25/1804571/nc-community-college-student-in.html
01/25 -- http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/25/2956347/speech-featured-an-nc-success.html
01/25 -- http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/24/politics/sotu-transcript/index.html - “Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic. Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College. The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie's tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.”
1/25 - http://chronicle.com/article/Obama-Puts-Focus-on-Higher/130447/
1/27 - http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-01-26/community-college-job-retraining/52808678/1
Join us on Facebook and Twitter to share your excitement as we celebrate this time in the national spotlight!
]]>CPCC kicked off its multi-year campaign at a Jan. 20 dinner event. The College will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2013. CPCC opened its doors in 1963 and has grown to become the largest community college in North Carolina, serving 70,000 individuals a year at six campuses in Mecklenburg County. The $30-million fundraising target is believed to be the largest campaign goal ever set by a U.S. community college.
CPCC and the CPCC Foundation have established four campaign priorities – areas in which the College has some of its greatest needs. These are:
Pat and B.D. Rodgers are longtime business and civic leaders in Charlotte. Pat Rodgers, president and CEO of Rodgers Builders, is a 2011 recipient of the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in North Carolina. Her other recent honors include Echo Foundation’s Award Against Indifference in April 2011, the Girl Scouts Hornets Nest Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2011 Whitney M. Young award from the Urban League. She was the 2011 chair of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and a past chair of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors. She also is a member of the CPCC Foundation and UNC Charlotte Foundation Board of Directors.
B.D. Rodgers, chairman and founder of Rodgers Builders, is a recipient of the Golden Hammer Award from the Professional Construction Estimators Association (PCEA), the 1999 Lucille P. Giles Award from Florence Crittenton Services, and the 2000 Executive of the Year Award from the Construction Financial Managers Association (CFMA). He has served on the board of the Presbyterian Home at Charlotte, the North Carolina State Engineering School of Design, and as Building Division Chair of the Carolinas Associated General Contractors. He currently serves on the Florence Crittenton Services Board of Advisors, Alexander Children's Center Board of Visitors, and the Brevard College Board of Trustees.
“Celebrating CPCC’s 50th anniversary is especially meaningful to B.D. and me,” said Pat Rodgers. “B.D. is a native Charlottean and attended Central High School, now on the CPCC campus. CPCC played a part in my education, helping prepare me for a new career in a new city when I moved to Charlotte.”
CPCC is launching a 50th anniversary campaign to celebrate its half-century of serving Mecklenburg County and to raise much-needed dollars to meet current and anticipated challenges. These include managing a growing student population and developing new programs while coping with greatly reduced state funding.
“CPCC is fortunate to have friends and supporters like Pat and B.D. Rodgers,” said Dr. Tony Zeiss, CPCC president. “They understand the importance and value of CPCC as an educational institution and workforce development partner and are willing to lead this crucial campaign. With their leadership and the support of Christa Overcash and Allen and Bessie Tate, this campaign will help CPCC serve its students and business and industry and propel us toward our goal of becoming the nation’s leader in workforce development.”
For more information about the CPCC’s 50th anniversary campaign, see http://cpccfoundation.com/.
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.
Since becoming CPCC’s third president in December 1992, Zeiss has grown CPCC into a flourishing, multi-campus institution that provides more than 300 innovative curriculum and job-training programs to Mecklenburg County residents. When Zeiss came to the College, it had one downtown campus. Today, CPCC is accessible to all Mecklenburg residents with six campuses spread out across the county and dozens of online programs.
Over the past 20 years, CPCC has become a vital community partner to Mecklenburg County residents and business and industry. Under Zeiss’s leadership, the College’s operating budget has grown exponentially from $47.6 million to $176.1 million, and CPCC currently contributes more than $918 million each year to the county’s economy.
“Tony Zeiss has provided 20 years of extraordinary leadership to CPCC and our community. We all have benefitted from Tony's vision, his commitment to education and his fundamental belief in community colleges as tools to fuel economic growth,” said Ralph Pitts, chairman of the CPCC Board of Trustees. “His enormous energy and passion have inspired thousands to enroll in and to support CPCC and have elevated the College to a level of national prominence.”
Zeiss’s interest in education began at a young age; he earned a bachelor’s degree in speech education and a master’s degree in speech from Indiana State University, and a doctorate in community college administration from Nova Southeastern University. The N.C. Community College System recognized his passion for education and leadership abilities in 2002, when it named him “President of the Year.” That same year, CPCC drew national attention when it was named the “2002 Community College of the Year” by the National Alliance of Business. In 2004, the Association of Community College Trustees named Zeiss the National Community College President of the Year.
Zeiss has served as the Board Chair for the League for Innovation and Chair of the Board of the American Association of Community Colleges. He frequently discusses fundraising and recruiting, developing and retaining peak performers in the workplace as the keynote speaker for companies and colleges across the country, and enjoys writing books. His publications discuss topics such as economic development, national workforce development, adult literacy and American history.
While the Jan. 20 event recognized Zeiss for his many accomplishments and contributions to the Charlotte community, it also helped build momentum for the institution as it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Mecklenburg County in 2013.
Dr. Zeiss and his wife, Beth, have two grown sons and two grandchildren.
To learn more about CPCC and Dr.Tony Zeiss, visit www.cpcc.edu.
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.
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The project will include the replacement of failing underground storm water piping and constructing a new pedestrian sidewalk from Grier Road to the main entrance of Cato I. It’s necessary to do the work now to prevent a dangerous sinkhole from forming.
Charlotte CATS buses #3 and #29 will continue to stop on Grier Road, with the campus accessible via the stairs at the corner of Grier and W.T. Harris. Campus security will offer shuttle assistance as needed for bus riders who cannot navigate the stairs.
CPCC urges students, employees and visitors to plan their trips to Cato with the Grier Road entrance project in mind. With the campus having only one entrance/exit for several weeks, traffic delays should be anticipated. In addition, drivers should take extra care turning onto W.T. Harris Blvd.
The college appreciates everyone’s cooperation and patience while the Cato-Grier Rd. project is completed. Once the work is done, the Grier Road entrance will be safer and have a much needed and requested pedestrian sidewalk.
]]>The Campaign 2012 Bus travels the country to promote and enhance C-SPAN’s extensive resources and political coverage by stopping at major political events such as candidate debates and speeches in early primary states and meeting with voters on the campaign trail. Additionally, the Bus will tour state capitals, visit community events, and host students and teachers around the nation, giving them an inside look at C-SPAN’s comprehensive educational and political resources.
“With the presidential campaign heating up, this is a great time for C-SPAN to hit the road with the Campaign 2012 Bus,” said Jennifer Curran. “C-SPAN offers a variety of public affairs programming and resources for educators, students, first-time voters, and the general public. We hope they come on board and check out our interactive, Campaign 2012 Bus.”
Students and visitors will learn about the following programming and resources via HD TVs, touch screen computers, laptops, and mobile devices:
The Charlotte events are in partnership with Time Warner Cable.
EVENTS:
10 a.m – noon Open Bus at Central Piedmont Community College (Central Campus)
The Bus will be parked in front of the Overcash Building on King Street, on the corner of 4th and Elizabeth Ave.
1-3 p.m. Military and Global Leadership Academy at Marie G. Davis* with GenerationNation, formerly Kids Voting Mecklenburg 3351 Griffith Street, Charlotte, NC 28203 *This is a closed event and will not be open to the public
Follow the Road to the White House with C-SPAN’s political coverage on the C-SPAN networks, C-SPAN Radio, and www.c-span.org.
About Road to the White House
Launched in 1988, C-SPAN’s signature political program, “Road to the White House,” features regular coverage of the candidates, issues and events that shape presidential politics. C-SPAN’s 2012 election Web site, www.c-span.org/Campaign2012, is a one-stop resource of presidential election coverage and includes streaming video of announcement speeches and candidate events, schedule information and related resources.
About C-SPAN
Created by the cable TV industry and now in over 100 million TV households, C-SPAN programs three public affairs television networks in both SD and HD; C- SPAN Radio, heard in Washington DC and nationwide via XM Satellite Radio; and a video- rich website which hosts the C-SPAN Video Library. Visit http://www.c-span.org/.
]]>“The Trail of History” show documents the fascinating history of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. CPCC TV has produced 24 Trail of History shows since 2008. The newly produced DVD set includes episodes on the history of Capt. James Jack, Hezekiah Alexander House, James K. Polk site, Latta Plantation, Rosedale and Rural Hill.
The DVD set can be purchased through the CPCC Press at http://cpccpress.com/products-page/faculty-titles/trail-of-history/, or by calling 704.330.6863. The price is $12, plus tax and shipping. CPCC also plans to make the set available at historic site gift shops and other retailers in Mecklenburg County.
“Trail of History” is hosted by Gary Ritter, a history instructor and executive director of Learning Technologies Services at CPCC. Each episode of “Trail of History” takes the viewer back in time to experience and explore the people and events that made Charlotte and Mecklenburg County what they are today. The documentary series enlightens and educates as Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s past is brought to life. The six-DVD set (Vol. 1) provides a tour of some of Mecklenburg’s historic sites and recounts the important events that have left a lasting legacy.
For more information about CPCC TV (Time Warner Cable channel 17) and its schedule of locally-produced programing, visit www.cpcc.edu/tv. To learn more about the CPCC Press and it publications and services, visit www.cpccpress.com.
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.
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While construction continues on the future home of ABB's production facility in Commerce Station, the new factory's first group of hourly employees has begun an intensive training program involving local community college classroom instruction as well as on-the-job training in Sweden.
ABB announced recently that 13 newly hired lead operators for the Huntersville facility were involved in on-site training at the company's operation in Karlskrona, Sweden. The training in Sweden — at a sister facility currently similar in size to the structure being built in Commerce Station working side-by-side with training operators who will serve as mentors for the new employees until local production begins — is part of the overall training cycle that will continue into the middle of next year. It includes a series of specific courses provided by Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) at its Huntersville campus, which lies nearly within the shadow of the 430-foot extrusion tower on the ABB site.
The primary goal of the training in Sweden is to ensure that the lead operators for the new Huntersville plant know how to safely operate the new facility with precision and quality. Equipment for the new Huntersville factory is a duplicate of that in Karlskrona to ensure customers receive the same product from both locations. The lead operators have the opportunity to work on the very same production lines they will oversee in Huntersville.
The mentors from Sweden will also travel to Huntersville next year for the factory acceptance tests and plant start-up. Lead operators hired for the new Huntersville plant, and the first group of local ABB hourly employees to visit Sweden for training, are LaFreda Ferrell, Andrew Sutter, Brent Shaver, Mark Snyder, Terry Jones, Jake Knudsen, Adam Couick, Ryan Reichert, James Watson, Michele Yago, Jodi Leeper, Joe Jordan and Robert Harwell.
Local ABB officials, as well as company officials located in Sweden, praised the hands-on approach and cooperative spirit of the training process.
"The program is a fantastic opportunity for our newest employees in Huntersville to get first-hand training from experienced professionals using the same equipment and processes already successfully implemented in Karlskrona," says Prentis Trickett, manager of the ABB factory in Huntersville.
"I think this training program demonstrates the dedication and professionalism of our newest employees and our Swedish colleagues. We truly are one team. We are committed to delivering high-quality customer service, and it starts with our employee training programs."
Hans Holmstrom, head of ABB's high voltage cable business based in Karlskrona, agrees.
"It is really rewarding to see how the teams from Huntersville and Karlskrona have integrated already," Holmstrom says. "Many years of experience and competence will be transferred in this comprehensive learning process, which will be absolutely key to a successful start-up of the production in Huntersville.
"Machinery and buildings are all very important, to be sure," Holmstrom says, "but it is really the people who will make this a success."
And from the start, the first people hired to work at the Huntersville facility have made a strong impression.
"The experience and skill level of this team is much higher than we anticipated," says Tony Velotta, production manager for ABB Huntersville. "They came with experience in cable production and extrusion, both of which are needed in our state-of-the-art facility."
Extensive training is also vital, and through a cooperative arrangement between ABB, CPCC and the State of North Carolina, most of the classroom training is offered at CPCC's Huntersville Campus. ABB signed on with CPCC to create a unique, state-funded customized training program for ABB employees. Training began in October, and the first group of Huntersville employees recently deployed to Sweden began their introduction to ABB's operation in CPCC classrooms.
"We are excited to work with ABB and we congratulate them on becoming a customized training program client with CPCC," says Michelle Miller, executive director of corporate learning and economic recruitment for CPCC in Charlotte.
"North Carolina was the first state to offer a program of this nature and we have a long history of working successfully with companies to provide highly relevant training that increases the capacity of our local workforce in the Huntersville area. We look forward to working with ABB's future employees and creating a healthy growth in the company's fortunes in the region."
CPCC's series of ABB classes, taught by CPCC professors or subject matter experts, include the basics of electricity, shop math and understanding the metric system, small forklift operation, extrusion 101 and a "train the trainers" program providing eight hours of instruction for the new plant's production area managers.
CPCC is hosting some of the classes, including the basics of electricity program, in its Integrated Systems Technology Lab, a world-class facility designed by industry leaders with direct input from ABB in customizing the training. In the lab, students get hands-on experience with electrical control circuits, mechanical drives, pneumatics and other aspects of the modern production facility environment.
The local ABB operation will be housed in a $90 million, 250,000-square-foot production plant under construction on a 23-acre tract in Commerce Station off N.C. 115 in Southern Huntersville. The industrial park is owned jointly by the towns of Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville. ABB is the second occupant of the park, joining Pactiv (formerly Prairie Packaging). Alongside plant production, work is under way to straighten Verhoeff Drive and build a bridge over N.C. 115 to provide for more direct access into and out of the park.
The ABB facility's most noticeable landmark is the 430-foot concrete tower used in the extrusion stage of the cable-production process. The Huntersville plant, expected to employ 100 workers when it opens next fall, will manufacture high-voltage and extra-high-voltage cables for underground electrical transmission.
The Huntersville plant is the newest in ABB's massive, global network of production facilities. The Switzerland-based company is the world's number one provider of power transmission and distribution equipment and technology, with operations in more than 100 countries and more than 117,000 employees. The company, founded more than 100 years ago, pioneered the technology for high-voltage direct current transmissions in 1954. Today, two ABB-engineered cables can transfer the power of two large nuclear plants. ABB cables are used to enhance the transmission efficiency of existing grids and to access remote power sources, such as solar and wind farms and offshore facilities.
In fact, demand for underwater transmission cables recently fueled ABB's announcement of a $400 million expansion at the Karlskrona plant. The expansion at the facility will double the production capacity and include the construction of new buildings and the installation of additional manufacturing lines. The expansion will begin next year and be completed in phases continuing through 2015.
Bill Rose, a native Charlottean and manager of media relations for ABB Inc.'s Cary-based Power Products & Power Systems divisions in North America, provided much of the information for this article.
The full article may also be accessed by visiting the Lake Norman Citizen at http://www.lakenormancitizen.com/news/item/1502-studying-the-a-b-cs-of-abbs-high-tech-plant.html.
]]>These national certifications are considered among the highest credentials in the nation’s healthcare system and are widely recognized by today’s employers.
To learn more about CPCC’s certificate and/or two-year associate degree programs in these academic areas, click the program area links above.
]]>Application deadlines begin February 2, 2012. Space is limited.
For more information on these study abroad opportunities, please click here or contact Nadine.Russell@cpcc.edu.
]]>During its 13-year history, CPCC’s Pathways to Employment has produced more than 2,000 graduates and gained national recognition for its ability to train and prepare students to enter the workforce as skilled employees. Pathways students can complete up to 32 weeks of course work in 12-14 weeks, making it an attractive academic option for individuals seeking short-term training. The curriculum focuses on strong basic skills and workforce skills to help displaced workers who are seeking gainful employment and career development.
During the commencement ceremony, Pathways students heard from keynote speaker Charles Bowman, Bank of America North Carolina and Charlotte market president, who applauded the program’s success and presented Dr. Tony Zeiss, president of CPCC, with a check for $100,000 to support the program’s operational costs.
“Pathways to Employment has grown significantly since its first graduation in 1998. Each year it adds programs that respond to the needs of the local workforce, helping unemployed residents get the skills needed to find meaningful jobs,” said Dr. Zeiss. “Bank of America’s gift will enable 72 students to attend the program next year. We are extremely grateful to the company for its generosity and supporting an initiative as meaningful as our Pathways to Employment program, which strives to improve lives as well as the quality of our region.”
Bowman added, “Over the years, one thing has become clear – Pathways works. It deals with the real world, the reality of today’s tough market. It gives students real skills that local businesses need – and leads to real paying jobs that can support families now and in the future. As a result, graduates are able to move themselves forward, as well as the community – both great things.”
To learn more about CPCC’s Pathways to Employment program, please visit http://www.cpcc.edu/pathways.
]]>Her name will be announced at the CEIA conference in Chicago in April 2012.
Melanie was previously selected as "Co-op Student of the Year" on the state level by the NC Cooperative Education Association (NCCEA) in November.
Please join us in congratulating Melanie!
]]>Nationally, over 26 million adults lack a high school diploma. While just over 2.5 million of these individuals are enrolled in adult basic education programs, many leave after a semester or two, and only 3 percent actually earn a postsecondary credential. In North Carolina alone there are over one million adults with low literacy and it is predicted that, by 2018, 59 percent of all jobs in the state will require workers with some form of postsecondary credentials. This will only exacerbate the current difficulty N.C. employers report in finding qualified workers who can fill skilled positions.
Accelerating Opportunity seeks to change the way adult basic education is delivered by putting adult students on track to earn a postsecondary credential so they can seize the opportunity to earn family-sustaining wages and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
CPCC will share the $1.6 million grant with the System Office and Blue Ridge Community College, Central Piedmont Community College, College of The Albemarle, Davidson County Community College, Richmond Community College, South Piedmont Community College and Wake Technical Community College, with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute and Wilkes Community College working as a consortium. Over the next three years, the colleges, in partnership with the System Office, will implement structured pathways for basic skills students to dual enroll in certificate and workforce training programs.
“This program will allow us to equip workers, at all levels, with the critical skills necessary to not only re-enter the workforce, but also begin contributing to the region’s economic recovery,” said Dr. Tony Zeiss, president of CPCC. “As a result, Jobs for the Future’s Accelerating Opportunity Initiative will help us produce more quality graduates and raise awareness of our role in the community as the major workforce development resource.”
“To be competitive not just with other states, but with other countries, it’s imperative that North Carolina’s workforce have the skills necessary to meet employers’ needs,” says Dr. Scott Ralls, N.C. Community College System President. “This grant will provide the foundation to allow our community colleges to implement seamless education and training programs, allowing adult learners to attain the education and skills they need and enter the workforce at a much faster pace.”
North Carolina was one of eleven states awarded a $200,000 design grant in August to support efforts to redesign adult basic education and postsecondary programs. After the design stage, the N.C. Community College System was eligible to compete for the implementation grant. Educational pathways to higher skills, credentials, and employment will be rigorously tested and independently evaluated. This evidence will be provided to philanthropy, labor, employers, adult education planners and other stakeholders in North Carolina and around the country to help them provide adult education programs that lead to postsecondary credentials with value in today’s workforce.
"In order to ensure that more workers have the skills they need for today’s good jobs, a change is needed in the way adult basic education is structured and delivered at the state and institutional levels in this country," says JFF President and CEO Marlene B. Seltzer. "With the support of our funders, partners and participating states, we will focus on redesigning these programs to significantly increase the number of adults obtaining credentials that lead to family-sustaining jobs and long-lasting career opportunities."
Accelerating Opportunity is informed by JFF’s Breaking Through initiative, which has promoted the support of 41 community colleges in 22 states, including North Carolina, to improve career pathways and postsecondary education for low-skilled adults.
“Accelerating Opportunity is expanding the professional horizons of Americans across the country – regardless of age or background – by helping them earn credentials and learn skills that have real value to employers,” says Maria Flynn, JFF vice president, Building Economic Opportunity. “Accelerating Opportunity meets workers where they are regardless of skill level or language proficiency, preparing them for today’s labor market by helping to develop foundational skills that create better opportunities for employment.”
Accelerating Opportunity: A Breaking Through Initiative is a multi-state effort managed by Jobs for the Future that promotes improved academic access and economic opportunity for low-skilled adults. This effort seeks to reform adult basic education and postsecondary systems by integrating basic skills with occupational training and adequate institutional support for adult learners, ensuring they receive the postsecondary credentials needed to succeed in high-skilled jobs and break the cycle of poverty in their communities. Accelerating Opportunity is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. For program and implementation expertise, Jobs for the Future (JFF) has engaged the National Council on Workforce Education, National College Transition Network and the Washington State Board of Community & Technical Colleges as partners.
For more information, visit www.acceleratingopportunity.org.
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Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.
]]>