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Welcome to Constructing the Carolinas, a show where we explore the growth of our communities, cities, and counties across North Carolina and figure out what's on the horizon. This podcast is brought to you by Barnhill, which has been Constructing the Carolinas since 1949.
Valerie Bono - 00:00:04:
Welcome to Constructing the Carolinas, a show where we explore the growth of our communities, cities, and counties across North Carolina and figure out what's on the horizon. We are brought to you by Barnhill, which has been constructing the Carolinas since 1949. I'm your host, Valerie Bono, Director of Business Development. Today, we're chatting with Andrew Gardner, Associate Vice President of Workforce Strategies at the North Carolina Community College System. If you're not familiar with our community college system in North Carolina, it's truly impressive. With 58 colleges spanning 100 counties from the mountains to the beach, nearly every North Carolina resident is within a 30-minute drive of high-quality, affordable higher education and professional development. That professional development is probably the most critical piece when students are going to school. Oftentimes, it's for a specific purpose.
Andrew Gardner - 00:01:01:
We have 58 community colleges, so workforce training programs look very different across each region because it needs to match and align with employer needs. So programs range from construction trades, specifically maybe boat building and Carteret Community College. You have some clean energy technician training that's going on in the triad area to assist those newer companies coming to town, such as battery, EV, those sort of things. And then health care, that's probably sprinkling in across the state, but health care is a big workforce training industry that we are definitely focused on and enhancing because we know it's a big need in our area.
Valerie - 00:01:42:
One specific example of this is Audemars Piguet, a luxury watchmaker based in Switzerland. They're moving the North American Service Center to Raleigh, which will create 105 jobs, and the North Carolina community college system will be ready.
Andrew - 00:01:57:
We can react on a dime to create some really interesting workforce programs based off of coordinating trainers and training programs directly with that company. It may start off as a customized training project where we work with an employer specifically to do short-term training to meet their immediate needs. And then we offer maybe a little longer eight to 16-week training programs that directly align to their needs. And I think we were joking a little bit that I may need to do some research and maybe go visit Switzerland to see how it's really done to make sure we're duplicating properly.
Valerie - 00:02:32:
That's right. I think that's very important, right? To go to Switzerland, get a little behind the scenes peek and get to see what you need to bring back to North Carolina.
Andrew - 00:02:40:
Exactly.
Valerie - 00:02:42:
All right, so I've got some statistics here, and I really want to dial in, right? This is Constructing the Carolinas, so let's talk about construction a little bit. These are some statistics from AGC, the Associated General Contractors Association, which I know that you are now on the board of for Carolinas AGC. Is that
Andrew - 00:02:59:
right? I am, I am, and it's a great organization, and I'm glad I'm at the table and going to help influence some decisions and solve this workforce shortage problem that we have and move things forward. So we can build up the Carolinas, right?
Valerie - 00:03:13:
That's right. All right, so 85% of firms had a hard time filling hourly craft positions, and then construction employment rose 2.5% since July of 2022, and then 4.8% since February of 2020, pre-pandemic. Those are pretty alarming statistics. So can you share a little bit about what programs you're seeing the community college system in North Carolina offer to offset that?
Andrew - 00:03:38:
Yeah, absolutely. So what comes to mind is two programs. One, accelerated programs, such as construction boot camps. We're actually, the community college system has partnered with Carolinas AGC to have these eight-week boot camps that gives students a fast and furious experience of learning the basics of construction. They come out with credentials. They get some work-based learning experience. So they get on-the-job training, classroom, perfect accelerated match, so that individuals either A, know this is a career for them and they're ready to get to work, or two, they quickly realize this is not the business for them, and so they quickly jump off and move on to another track. The other program that we offer as a community college system that's very robust in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction is our dual enrollment program. This allows high school students to get college credit, college experience, by taking our classes while in high school. And so they get dual credit. And what that allows is the high schools can now move some of their, their funding down to the middle school level. So at an earlier age, students can get exposure to careers, career awareness, so that as they start to enter the high school and college years, they can really understand and have a focused pathway. So we're serving that interest gap and awareness, and then also accelerating folks into the workforce.
Valerie - 00:05:00:
I'm so glad to hear you say that because we're seeing that on our end too, right? We love to talk to young students about careers and construction as a future opportunity for them, right? Because a lot of times kids hear about, oh, you could be a doctor or a lawyer, but they don't realize how successful they could be specifically in the construction industry. And we also recognize that at some point, right, if you're targeting high school students, it's too late. So I love that you said, okay, it's trickling down to middle school and it's exposing them to the trades and construction as a viable career for them.
Andrew - 00:05:33:
Absolutely.
Valerie - 00:05:33:
Yeah, that's awesome. So when we last spoke, you mentioned that the community college system's looking at that accelerated model and that allows for the quick certifications. Can you share more about that for lifelong learners specifically?
Andrew - 00:05:47:
Yes. So really what that does is serve those folks that are retooling. Maybe there's a new program or technology that's coming to their company or a new company's coming to town. And they have a base skill set. And this company needs something a little more specialized. So we can work and develop those accelerated programs to meet a specific market. One example is when I was at the local community college level, we worked with a new employer to create a aseptic technician training program. And that was a eight to 10 week training program that allowed individuals to know how to operate and manage this very specific machinery. And this training program was not available at all. And so we worked directly with the company, created the curriculum and had an instructor and kind of helped retool some of those individuals in the area that had a base skill set that were adult learners. I mean, the students range from age 20 to 50. So you're always learning. And that's what we're there to serve, you know, those lifelong learners.
Valerie - 00:06:50:
I love that. If our listeners are lifelong learners and they're like, oh, I want to refine some skills, is there a website that they can go to?
Andrew - 00:06:57:
Absolutely. They can land at a couple different places. One, you could always go to the North Carolina Community College System webpage and type in and get linked to certain colleges that offer certain programs and also their location. As I mentioned earlier, there's 58 community colleges. So there's a community college within a 30 minute radius of any and everybody in North Carolina. So that's very unique in the big scheme of things.
Valerie - 00:07:22:
Sure. So apprenticeships, we talked about that. Can you go into more detail what it looks like statewide for some of the community colleges? And are there any specific examples you'd like to share with our listeners?
Andrew - 00:07:35:
Yeah, so it's big business and it's going to only grow more. And we have industries that range from early childhood. We're doing early childhood apprenticeship programs that allow learners to go to school during the evening hours while they're working during the day. So they're applying what they're learning in the classroom on the job. And then we also have programs such as maintenance technicians that are serving those advanced manufacturing industries. And that model can some serve the high school students getting that, you know dual enrollment credit where they're going to school during the day. And then they're able to take some evening shifts or weekends to just get a little bit of exposure while they're in school. So there's all different models that are going on that are serving all sectors across the state.
Valerie - 00:08:20:
That's fantastic. And I think you mentioned, too, that with the community college system, there's an opportunity for some of the child care burdens to be covered.
Andrew - 00:08:31:
Yeah, So two community colleges that come to mind that are really serving their students, and this is just two of many. Sandhills Community College and Cape Fear Community College have child care options at no or low cost, drop-ins to drop their children off while they attend their classes. And so that's a great service, as we know that's a barrier not only to education, but the workforce.
Valerie - 00:08:56:
100%. It is a huge barrier, and it's unfortunate that people are having to decide whether to stay home or not continue their education or put their kids in child care.
Andrew - 00:09:05:
Yeah, it's something else, and I'm even seeing some employers, they're building whole new daycares just for their specific employees so that there's no excuse not to go to work. And so they're maybe looking to the community college, hey, you need to go ahead and start bumping up your early childhood education program. And, you know. So multiple pathways for the workforce there.
Valerie - 00:09:28:
I love that. So are there any career services and job placements that you'd like to share with our listeners today?
Andrew - 00:09:35:
Yeah, so all our colleges have career service centers and they have career coach navigators that help individuals, you know, tune up their resume, get some interview skills, then also get them connected with some work-based learning opportunities. Whether it's job shadowing, internship, or a full-blown apprenticeship. So they help them navigate through the system and also help provide them with wraparound resources. And wraparound resources, anything from food insecurity assistance, maybe some funding for transportation. Daycare, you know, needs. And so again, making sure the student is whole and can continue in their educational and workforce endeavors.
Valerie - 00:10:16:
If the listeners want to learn more about all of the wraparound services that are offered, is there a resource or a website that they can go to specifically for that?
Andrew - 00:10:25:
Yeah, so I think at each community college, it looks a little different. So I would contact each college's student services center. One example of a college that is doing a fantastic job is Forsyth Technical Community College. They have a program called Forsyth Cares. And so they have an on-campus food pantry to help students. They provide them to all services in the surrounding area. So again, they're that one-stop shop to make sure the student is successful.
Valerie - 00:10:53:
So in a recent study, and this is according to North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, 171,400 new businesses were created in 2022 and 178,300 new businesses were created in 2021. So those were the two best years on record, and it's a continuing trend for 2023. So I'm curious, in addition, with North Carolina being one of the fastest growing states and a top state for businesses across America, what are other ways that the community college system is contributing to the growing workforce?
Andrew - 00:11:30:
Yeah. So you talked about new entrepreneurs. So we have a small business center located at all 58 community colleges. Our services, you know, as far as coaching an individual that's either starting a new business or they're an existing business, small business owner, we provide free seminars for them to get counsel on anything from quick books training, business plan, maybe even coordinating with other small businesses. You know, co-working spaces are big. So making sure that they're connected with the right resources to be successful. Then also having those difficult conversations about, are you really ready to start your own business? Have you done a business plan? Do you understand the finances and the commitment that involved with that. But again, that's a great service that we provide across the state to help individuals get started. In the construction industry, we even had Cape Fear Community College put on a nice symposium for individuals that were looking to get into contracting with the state for HUD projects. And so that was a great idea that our small business center put on in partnership with the city of Wilmington so they could help individuals navigate the application process. And so they brought in a lot of resources to help individuals get prepared, ready if they wanted to be a contractor for that specific program.
Valerie - 00:12:55:
That's fantastic. I'd be remissed if I didn't bring this up. And if our listeners are watching the video, you're rocking some really awesome socks right now. And they were put together by Catawba Valley Community College. So can you tell us a little bit more about the program that was used to create your wonderful socks that you're wearing?
Andrew - 00:13:13:
Yeah. So Catawba Valley Community College has a great track record in history in the textile industry. And so they have a workforce training programs where companies all across the state and probably beyond come there and receive that advanced training dealing with that specific industry. And so they also produce some great swag appropriate socks. And so I definitely like to show them off every now and then. So great quality programs that are coming out of Catawba Valley. And that's just one of many academies is what they frame it that focus on accelerated job training, whether it's a construction academy, boot camp, furniture academy. And so they definitely set up these academies to be really focused and connected with the industry.
Valerie - 00:13:55:
That's awesome. So North Carolina, you mentioned there's 58 community colleges across the state. So there's got to be numerous programs. And we talked about Apprenticeship NC. Can you... Frame that program a little bit more and what that offering is.
Andrew - 00:14:13:
Yeah, so Apprenticeship NC is a very specific department within the community college system where their number one goal is to connect with business and industry and making sure they're creating registered apprenticeship programs and connecting them to the right educational resource, whether it's the community college system, the university, or whatever the trainer may need to be to provide that related instruction. So their goal is to make us a top five producing apprenticeship company here in North Carolina. And so they're making sure that the employers know of the program, the advantages, whether there's any financial incentive associated with apprenticeship program or just how to operationalize a apprenticeship program. Because the number one thing with apprenticeship program that makes it successful is the employer, making sure the employer has a strong mentor, a strong system in place. Because if the apprentice does not receive good guidance or structure or training, they're not going to be successful. So the employer wants to be... You know, fully aware of what they need to do to be a successful partner and grow the apprenticeship program. Again, be on the lookout for us in the next five years or less of being a top five, if not the top apprenticeship producing state in the nation.
Valerie - 00:15:27:
That's incredible. So does that go hand in hand? You talk about mentorship and apprenticeship. You know, we're seeing that trend that the future workforce, they want to have a good mentor. And do you think there's a correlation there between the mentorship and apprenticeship, that guidance?
Andrew - 00:15:42:
Yeah, there certainly is. And I'll kind of loop in the lifelong learner thing. So one, we're trying to grow apprenticeship programs when we realize that even the mentors or future mentors need training. So the community college system is working with those supervisors. Maybe they got promoted through the ranks and they're a good doer, but they're not a good coach or mentor. So we are setting up training programs to help those future mentors be successful in being a mentor. And that's being duplicated across the state. So again, it starts there. And then as we're ramping up apprenticeship programs, making sure that at the high school level, they're aware of what Apprenticeship NC is doing. Again, make sure there's two-way communication of everybody getting on board, rolling out, and the full understanding of what they're doing. What Apprenticeship NC is and how it can benefit the students and the greater workforce community.
Valerie - 00:16:33:
So we heard that there's a new state program, and it's one of its kind, and it directly supports economic development. And that's called NC Edge. What is that program about?
Andrew - 00:16:44:
Yeah, so NC Edge is really a flavor of our customized training program that provides new and expanding companies in North Carolina opportunity for specialized training. We develop specialized training projects that will help train their workforce existing or up-and-coming workforce in 12 to 18 months that focus on their specific needs that are associated with getting their workforce ramped up. And so that's something that could be renewed. So they do one project. They complete 18 months. They find out they need new training, new technologies coming to town. We can train them a continuous improvement, continuous training program that helps elevate the skill set of North Carolina companies.
Valerie - 00:17:24:
Wow. How wonderful is that, right? As companies are looking at North Carolina, oh, is this somewhere that I want to bring my business? I would imagine that's a huge asset.
Andrew - 00:17:34:
Well, we are the number one state to do business in.
Valerie - 00:17:36:
That is right.
Andrew - 00:17:37:
So it definitely adds to our story and what we have to offer. And I dare say the community college system plays a very critical part in making sure we are the top state to do business in. And so that is a big component of it.
Valerie - 00:17:51:
I'm really glad you mentioned that. We are the number one state to do business. We're very fortunate to live, work, and play in North Carolina.
Andrew - 00:17:58:
Absolutely.
Valerie - 00:17:58:
Yeah. So are there any government policies either in place or in the works to help get additional funding for the community college system?
Andrew - 00:18:07:
Yeah. So we've been super fortunate with the budget the past couple of years. There's been such a focus on workforce. So we've seen more investment in workforce programs than we've ever seen before. For example, there's some high-cost workforce training program funding that we had last year that focused on essentially seed money, helping colleges get started with establishing some high-demand workforce programs. And that ranged from heavy equipment operator to dental assistant programs. So we're able to give them seed money. And with our current funding mechanism, that's great because they can start to increase their enrollment. And then colleges are, you know, they receive their budget based off of their enrollment. So we give them seed money and they sustain it based off of their enrollment. So that's one. This new year, there's a focus on health care. So we have health care high-cost programs where we're giving out funding to colleges to help start or expand their health care program. And so that's definitely going to be a hit here in the next couple of months. We're reviewing applications as we speak for those colleges that have submitted applications for fun, and so we're looking to move at the speed of business and get them the money as soon as possible so they can take off and implement these programs.
Valerie - 00:19:29:
Move at the speed of business. I love that. Yeah, that's fantastic. Andrew, I know it's really important, right, for the business community to support the community college system and express their needs. There's a lot of partnerships going on between the programs. What are some of the programs and opportunities that you're most excited about for 2024?
Andrew - 00:19:48:
Yeah, so partnerships with employers is critical to our success. And for employers, they all have a relationship with their local community college. But some newer companies, they don't know how to break into the conversation. And some, frankly, they want to talk to the system office because we know we're a phone call away from all 58 community colleges. So they know we're the organization to call if they want to scale something. So one of the great partnerships we have is with the energy industry. We have a consortium of employers in the electrical space. And we have employers such as Duke Energy, Pike Electric, where we design and give input on electrical lineman programs and making sure that there's funding available, apprenticeship opportunities, qualified instructors. And so we work with them to deploy that train out. And beyond the electrical lineman space, we're now starting to get into EV installation charging stations. So there's a big need, for this charging station. So we're going to be working with the consortium to develop a training plan to get individuals familiar with the installation and maintenance of electrical vehicle charging stations. So that's a new frontier that we're leading and bleeding with industry. And so they're going to be critical players at the table to help us deploy this.
Valerie - 00:21:08:
Absolutely. That's awesome because so many of our mega sites in North Carolina, they're dedicated specifically to EV or battery, right? All of that. We've heard about Toyota coming to North Carolina. Are there community colleges in some of those towns adjacent to the mega sites that are leading the charge?
Andrew - 00:21:27:
There are. So Central Carolina Community College is a leader in that. They have a group called Advance NC where they're getting employers together, workforce development folks, just to make sure that they are creating these programs and services to help the industry and the greater community to be aware of these opportunities and what sort of training they need to go ahead and get started on. So they'll be in the pipeline to get going in that EV space.
Valerie - 00:21:55:
Sure.
Andrew - 00:21:55:
Clean energy is booming.
Valerie - 00:21:57:
Absolutely. Do you see any students that have gone through the community college system that are returning back to pay it forward, right? Whether that's, you know, being an adjunct professor or teaching, I don't know, opportunities across the system. Is there any?
Andrew - 00:22:13:
Yeah, that's an amazing thing when you have a student that returns to give back. And so a lot of times in our workforce space, we see the part-time adjuncts that were former students that went to work in industry. We had a great heat and air condition instructor that was a former student when I was at the local college that was able to come back and give back. And I dare say it's also strategic because then they use that as a recruitment and screening tool to help fill the pipeline for their workforce. So we definitely see that quite frequently of individuals that were former students go in the workforce and they come and infiltrate the classroom to get the best and brightest.
Valerie - 00:22:53:
What a brilliant concept, right? You're getting firsthand look at the rock stars in the classes, and then you can utilize that as a recruiting tool, right? Like, hey, you know, I'm here, I'm teaching this class, but oh, I've got a great opportunity for you to come join our firm.
Andrew - 00:23:06:
Good deal. And I want to tell one more story linking it to apprenticeship. I just just came to mind. There was a student. His name was Nathan Ritter. He started off in the apprenticeship program as a high school student, a junior, nervous as he can be, you know, interviewing for the apprenticeship program. And Jordan Lumber took a chance on the individual. He went through his... Program at the college, excelled in the skilled trades programs. But boy, he kept putting off that English. He kept putting off that English and he was excellent at work, but we finally were able to talk him into completing his English class because the one challenge was the college only offered it online. And that was a challenge for him because he's a very hands-on learner, but he persevered. And not only was he making it as an apprentice and thriving, but he was also dealing with a health issue. So he was having kidney failure. He just went to the hospital out of the blue and was diagnosed like, hey, you are going into failure and you're going to need a transplant. So he made it through the program and is now on the up and up with his health. And he, he finished our apprenticeship program. He was one of the first students to complete that apprenticeship program and is a thriving employee at Jordan Lumber and started off as a high school student. It took a number of years because again, kept putting off that online English class, but he was a successful apprentice and it definitely worked out for the best.
Valerie - 00:24:47:
That's an incredible success story. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Andrew - 00:24:50:
Absolutely.
Valerie - 00:24:51:
So I've asked a lot of questions today, right? There's been a lot of good information. You've shared an incredible amount of knowledge on the programs that you're offering. Is there anything that I should have asked that I didn't?
Andrew - 00:25:03:
Oh. I think you've asked all the questions. It's just a matter of helping us get the word out about the North Carolina community college system and our community colleges and what they have to offer. I think the phrase was, you know, we're the best kept secret. Well, we're going to be a known entity, known organization in the next 12 months if they don't already know about us and what we do.
Valerie - 00:25:30:
Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I know certain community college systems, we talked about some of the wraparound benefits, one of them being child care. But some of the community colleges, you're able to graduate debt free if you go to the community college where you live. Is that correct?
Andrew - 00:25:48:
Absolutely. You know, there is no reason a student in North Carolina should come out with any debt. We have so many programs to help accelerate them into their career. The community college, if you, you know. Go through us. We can link you to the workforce. So you get going working in the workforce and then you can always go back to school and maybe your employer will pick up the tap. But there's no reason a North Carolina student should have any college debt with the amount of programs and services we have to offer in this state.
Valerie - 00:26:18:
Yeah, in our last podcast episode, we spoke with Butch Lawter, County Commissioner for Johnston County, and then Chris Johnson, Economic Development. And I know JCC, Johnston Community College, they have that benefit for residents.
Andrew - 00:26:31:
Yeah, they're doing some outstanding work in Johnston County.
Valerie - 00:26:34:
Yeah. So I've got a few speed round questions for you. So this is constructing the Carolinas, right? And, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you, you live here, right? You work here. Is there a project that you would love to see constructed in the Carolinas?
Andrew - 00:26:52:
So my heart goes to Main Street, old school, small town, Main Street, America. And I live in a small town, Robbins, and I commute into Raleigh. I would love to see some accelerated downtown revitalization. So things are on the up and up, but I just would love to see these small town Main Streets continue to bloom, such as Southern Pines and Aberdeen. So very excited about that and hope that trend continues in small town Main Street, North Carolina.
Valerie - 00:27:21:
Oh, I would love to see that trend continue. I also live in a historical community, right, just outside of Raleigh. You know you tend to lose some of that charm, right? So to revitalize, it would be really nice and wonderful to see. I'm curious. Do you have a hidden talent?
Andrew - 00:27:39:
Hidden talent. It's not so hidden. I just don't do it that often is I'm pretty good cook. I can cook chicken marsala, beef stroganoff, and so pretty good cook when I have time.
Valerie - 00:27:51:
That's right. When you have time. You are a busy man. You do have three kids.
Andrew - 00:27:55:
Three kids. Absolutely.
Valerie - 00:27:56:
Yeah, that's great. So if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would that be?
Andrew - 00:28:04:
I do love to travel. I would love to venture out to Australia.
Valerie - 00:28:09:
Okay. After Switzerland.
Andrew - 00:28:11:
After Switzerland. Good reminder.
Valerie - 00:28:14:
So we are getting ready to build a really exciting project. It's the North Carolina Education Campus. And there's going to be several departments consolidating right to one building. What are you most excited about with that project?
Andrew - 00:28:29:
So beyond getting some new duds and fresh new building is the opportunity for collaboration and partnership at a whole new level. Because I know we're so connected in the virtual world. But just having your partners that you're working on these workforce and education is, all housed together. I mean, that magics going to happen. We're going to pass in the hallway. The communication, I believe, is going to increase and the ideas are going to flow. So North Carolina is going to be very well positioned when it comes to education and workforce. So I'm excited about that.
Valerie - 00:29:05:
Yeah, we're super excited to be working. To bring the North Carolina Education Campus to life. I think it's going to be transformational, but also foster that collaboration that I think everyone's craving.
Andrew - 00:29:16:
Absolutely.
Valerie - 00:29:17:
Yeah. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate it. And I know our listeners are excited to hear about all the opportunities and wonderful things that you're doing across North Carolina for the community college system.
Andrew - 00:29:28:
Absolutely. Well, I appreciate the opportunity to talk a little bit about the North Carolina Community College System. As I told you, I don't mind bragging about what we do. It's a product I believe in. And I just, again, appreciate the time this morning.
Valerie - 00:29:46:
Thank you so much to Andrew Gardner for joining us today. You can find more on the North Carolina Community College System at nccommunitycolleges.edu. Thank you for listening or watching Constructing the Carolinas. We'll be back again soon with a new episode, so be sure to press the follow button on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube. And check out what Barnhill is doing to construct the Carolinas. You can find us at barnhillcontracting.com, and you can follow us on LinkedIn as well. This podcast is edited and produced by Earfluence. I'm Valerie Bono, and as we construct the Carolinas and as we build this podcast, I encourage you to keep building and growing as well. See you next time.