A College in Lee County, North Carolina, Helps Build the Workforce of Tomorrow

This case study describes how Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) and regional partners in North Carolina are addressing workforce gaps created by the transition to a greener economy and the arrival of advanced manufacturing companies like Wolfspeed and VinFast.

• Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) has established the E. Eugene Moore Center as a hub for biotechnology and advanced manufacturing training. The college collaborates with approximately 80 businesses of varying sizes, from small enterprises with 12 employees to larger ones with up to 2,000 employees, to align training with employer needs.
• The Advance NC initiative, which spans 19 North Carolina counties and includes 11 community colleges, seven workforce boards, and three universities, works to create career paths in advanced manufacturing. A primary goal is ensuring equal access to high-paying jobs for groups that have historically faced barriers, including women, Black and Indigenous communities, and individuals with nontraditional education backgrounds.
• The arrival of large companies such as the semiconductor firm Wolfspeed and the electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast in Lee County creates a demand for thousands of jobs across various sectors, including direct facility roles and indirect roles for local suppliers, electricians, and hospitality workers.
• The Chatham Economic Development Corporation is facilitating a regional response to economic growth by connecting large incoming businesses with local small business providers to help these companies overcome the lack of pre-existing talent pipelines and local service networks.

APA

World Resources Institute (2024). A College in Lee County, North Carolina, Helps Build the Workforce of Tomorrow. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/college-lee-county-north-carolina-helps-build-workforce-tomorrow

Chicago

World Resources Institute. A College in Lee County, North Carolina, Helps Build the Workforce of Tomorrow. 2024. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/college-lee-county-north-carolina-helps-build-workforce-tomorrow.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=A College in Lee County, North Carolina, Helps Build the Workforce of Tomorrow |date=22 October 2024 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/college-lee-county-north-carolina-helps-build-workforce-tomorrow |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2024college, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{A College in Lee County, North Carolina, Helps Build the Workforce of Tomorrow}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/college-lee-county-north-carolina-helps-build-workforce-tomorrow}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }