The North Carolina Department of Commerce has awarded employer engagement grants totaling $660,000 to 13 local workforce development boards, Governor Josh Stein announced today.
“As America’s top-ranked state for workforce development, North Carolina is partnering with employers to build opportunity for our people,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This grant program is one way to help our local workforce partners serve more businesses, which will in turn help create good jobs for talented North Carolinians.”
Workforce boards will use the grants to fund innovative approaches to connect and partner with businesses in their areas, including services related to work-based learning programs such as apprenticeships. Specific tactics will vary based on local and regional needs. This initiative supports a goal of the Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships to engage 50,000 employers as partners in building North Carolina’s talent pipeline. The state’s new “First in Opportunity” strategic economic development plan also calls for expanding work-based learning across various industries with more employer outreach and enhanced statewide coordination.
“Workforce development and economic development go hand in hand,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “These employer engagement grants will continue to foster that connection and strengthen our NCWorks partners’ capacity for delivering talent services to innovative companies.”
The local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) receiving a grant include:
| Workforce Development Board (s) | Counties Served | Award |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Fear WDB | Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender | $50,000 |
| Capital Area WDB | Chatham, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Wake | $50,000 |
| Charlotte Works and Centralina WDB (regional partnership) | Anson, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, Union | $125,000 |
| Eastern Carolina WDB | Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico, Wayne | $50,000 |
| Foothills WDB | Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford | $50,000 |
High Country WDB | Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey | $50,000 |
| Kerr-Tar WDB | Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance, Warren | $50,000 |
| Mid-Carolina WDB | Cumberland, Harnett, Montgomery, Moore, Sampson | $50,000 |
| Northeastern WDB | Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, Washington | $50,000 |
| Piedmont Triad Regional WDB | Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin | $50,000 |
| Rivers East WDB | Beaufort, Bertie, Hertford, Martin, Pitt | $50,000 |
| Turning Point WDB | Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, Wilson | $35,000 |
How Employers Can Participate
Employers interested in partnering with the workforce system are encouraged to submit an interest form found at commerce.nc.gov/employers. Filling out this short form will provide information to state and local partners so they can better understand the needs, interests, and experiences of the business, as well as the challenges the business may face. Then, the workforce partners can follow up to collaborate and connect companies to employment and training services that might meet their needs. Employers may also contact a local Workforce Development Board or a local NCWorks Career Center through the contact information found at NCWorks.gov.
This is a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I program/project, which is 100 percent supported by the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor as part of an award to North Carolina totaling $62,285,759.