College Presidents Discuss Advanced Manufacturing Alliance

The Community College Presidents of the North Carolina Advanced Manufacturing Alliance met at Nash Community College on Wednesday, May 21 to discuss strategy for sustaining and scaling up the alliance. The North Carolina Advanced Manufacturing Alliance comprises 10 community colleges providing specialized training to students to prepare them for careers in advanced manufacturing. An $18 million grant from the United States Department of Labor provides the consortium with funding for equipment used by advanced manufacturing companies throughout the State. The Alliance offers accelerated training to people who are unemployed and dislocated as a result of offshoring and provides them the skills and credentials employers are seeking for well-paid jobs. The program uses curricula for its state-of-the-art equipment and students are equipped with iPads for online connectivity to their coursework and their success managers. Additionally, it is accredited by The National Center for Construction Education and Research, the national industry organization, to provide instructor accreditation and training in North Carolina.

In the photo: NCC Welding student Matthew Cooke, employed by Edwards, Inc. in Spring Hope, competes in the flat stick open roof welding competition during the American Welding Society (AWS) Tri-State Welding Competition held at Nash Community College Friday, April 25th.