Piedmont-Triad Community College Leaders to Voice Support For Workforce Training, Student Completion

JAMESTOWN, N.C. – A consortium of Piedmont-Triad community college leaders will gather on March 24 at Guilford Technical Community College’s Greensboro Campus to voice their support for a set of 2017-2019 legislative budget priorities they would like to see the General Assembly grant.

Some of those priorities include:

• Investing in workforce training by increasing funding for short-term workforce training programs, funding a study of workforce training costs, and a start-up fund for high-cost workforce programs
• Funding of additional career coaches in high schools
• Increasing student completion by investing in student support services
• Rewarding and strengthening community colleges for preparing students for better-paying jobs resulting in earnings gains, and raising faculty and staff salaries.

Collectively, these priorities will help ensure a highly-skilled workforce pipeline and guarantee that students have an awareness of and access to quality, well-paying career opportunities.

The press conference is a prelude to Community College Day, a statewide lobbying effort on March 29 in Raleigh, N.C. to raise awareness of the importance and impact of community colleges. The event is open to the media and the public.

WHO: Leaders from Alamance Community College, Guilford Technical Community College, Forsyth Technical Community College, Surry Community College, Davidson County Community College, Rockingham Community College and Randolph Community College

WHAT: Community College Day, a discussion of how the 2017-2019 legislative budget priorities will enhance industry recruitment, business retention, workforce development and strengthen community colleges

WHEN: 10 a.m. Friday, March 24

WHERE: Technical Education Center, first floor lobby, GTCC’s Greensboro Campus, 3505 E. Wendover Ave., Greensboro

Guilford Technical Community College is the fourth largest of 58 institutions in the NC Community College System. GTCC serves more than 40,000 students annually from five campuses and a Small Business Center. Learn more at www.gtcc.edu.